An apparatus for managing inner-network element transmission resources for an Automatically Switched Optical Network, ASON, comprising a resource configuration unit, a resource abstraction unit and a resource sending unit: the resource configuration unit is configured to obtain information of inner-network element transmission resources from a network management controller or a board and to send the information of the inner-network element transmission resources to the resource abstraction unit, and is further configured to receive a service operation instruction from a network management controller or an Automatically Switched Optical Network, ASON, controller respectively, and to search the resource abstraction unit for an internal path corresponding to the service operation instruction to obtain an operation command for a transmission resource; the resource abstraction unit is configured to perform abstract representation on the information of the transmission resources to obtain internal paths; characterized in that the resource sending unit is configured to send the operation command for the transmission resource to a corresponding board, and in that the resource configuration unit is further configured: after obtaining the operation command for the transmission resource, to determine whether the operation command for the transmission resource includes a set of board operation instructions; if no, to send the obtained operation command for the transmission resource to the resource sending unit; otherwise, to determine whether a board to which the set of board operation instructions is directed to is consistent with a board in the internal path; if yes, to send the obtained operation command for the transmission resource to the resource sending unit; otherwise, to return a service operation failure message to a sending source sending the service operation instruction. the resource configuration unit is configured to obtain information of inner-network element transmission resources from a network management controller or a board and to send the information of the inner-network element transmission resources to the resource abstraction unit, and is further configured to receive a service operation instruction from a network management controller or an Automatically Switched Optical Network, ASON, controller respectively, and to search the resource abstraction unit for an internal path corresponding to the service operation instruction to obtain an operation command for a transmission resource; the resource abstraction unit is configured to perform abstract representation on the information of the transmission resources to obtain internal paths; characterized in that the resource sending unit is configured to send the operation command for the transmission resource to a corresponding board, and in that the resource configuration unit is further configured: after obtaining the operation command for the transmission resource, to determine whether the operation command for the transmission resource includes a set of board operation instructions; if no, to send the obtained operation command for the transmission resource to the resource sending unit; otherwise, to determine whether a board to which the set of board operation instructions is directed to is consistent with a board in the internal path; if yes, to send the obtained operation command for the transmission resource to the resource sending unit; otherwise, to return a service operation failure message to a sending source sending the service operation instruction.