Patent ID: 7869373

Claim:
A method of operating a network for providing services to subscribers, the method comprising: operating the network and a configuration system using a primary core, wherein the network comprises the configuration system and wherein the configuration system comprises a core system, the core system having the primary core and a secondary core, each core containing network configuration data and each core being separately configured to control operation of the network and the configuration system; and at least one cell connected to the core system and configured to control a defined part of the network containing at least one network element connected to the cell, each network element supporting a number of subscribers for provision of the services, the network configuration data in the primary and secondary cores being periodically modified; monitoring operation of the primary core for a failure event preventing the primary core from properly controlling operation of the network and configuration system; on detection of a failure event, transferring control of operation of the network and configuration system to the secondary core; following correction of the failure event such that the primary core again becomes configured to properly control operation of the network and configuration system, configuring the secondary core such that its network configuration data is no longer modified and synchronising the network configuration data of the primary core with the network configuration data of the secondary core; and transferring operation of the network and configuration system back to the primary core.