Patent ID: 7467193

Claim:
A method for managing a network element inventory for a video and data network comprising: self-discovering a physical network inventory of physical network elements using network elements of the video and data network; self-discovering a logical network inventory of logical network elements using network elements of the video and data network; providing a planned network inventory of the video and data network; loading the physical network inventory, logical network inventory, and planned network inventory into the network element inventory, wherein the physical network elements and logical network elements of the video and data network change over time, wherein the physical network inventory and logical network inventory is continually self-discovered over the time period to update the physical network inventory and logical network inventory in real-time; synchronizing the physical network inventory, logical network inventory, and planned network inventory in the network element inventory to determine any differences between the real-time updated physical network inventory and the real-time updated logical network inventory with the planned network inventory; receiving a request for a view of the network element inventory; and determining the view based on at least one of the synchronized physical network inventory, the synchronized logical network inventory, and planned network inventory, wherein the view is determined based on if any differences between physical network elements of the real-time updated physical network inventory and logical network elements of the real-time updated logical network inventory with physical or logical network elements of the planned network inventory are determined.