Patent ID: 7773541

Claim:
An element manager operating method comprising: if a selected packet switch connected to a neighboring packet switch makes first information identifying the neighboring packet switch available to the element manager, then retrieving, using the element manager, the first information from the selected packet switch, the first information being derived by the selected packet switch from communication via a first protocol between the selected packet switch and the neighboring packet switch; if the first information is not available to the element manager and if the selected packet switch makes second information identifying the neighboring packet switch available to the element manager, then retrieving, using the element manager, the second information from the selected packet switch, the second information being derived from communication via a second protocol between the selected packet switch and the neighboring packet switch, the first and second protocols being different protocols; if another selected packet switch connected to another neighboring packet switch makes third information identifying the other neighboring packet switch available to the element manager, then retrieving, using the element manager, the third information from the other selected packet switch, the third information being derived by the other selected packet switch from communication via a third protocol between the other selected packet switch and the other neighboring packet switch; if the third information is not available to the element manager and if the other selected packet switch makes fourth information identifying the other neighboring packet switch available to the element manager, then retrieving, the element manager, the fourth information from the other selected packet switch, the fourth information being derived from communication via a fourth protocol between the other selected packet switch and the other neighboring packet switch, the third and fourth protocols being different protocols; and wherein the selected packet switch is a different type of packet switch than the other selected packet switch and the third protocol is the same as the second protocol.