Patent ID: 7472189

Claim:
A method of collecting data for network elements used to support customer networks, the method comprising: extracting network element identifiers identifying network elements used to support the customer networks for one or more customers from a customer information database, wherein the customer information database includes the network element identifiers for the network elements with regard to the customers associated therewith and without regard to network element addresses for the network elements; extracting network element addresses for one or more network elements from a network element addressing database as a function of the network element identifier associated therewith, the network element addresses providing information sufficient for electronically locating and communicating with the network elements, wherein the network element addressing database includes the network element identifiers for the network elements with regard to the network element addresses of the network elements and without regard to the customers associated therewith; correlating the network element addresses with the customers associated with the network element identifiers such that each network element is associated with a customer and a network element address; addressing instructions to the network elements based on the network element address and the customer associated therewith, the instructions instructing the network elements to provide data for use in assessing the operation thereof; compiling the data provided by the network elements in a database according to the customer associated therewith; generating a report for each customer based on the data compiled in the database, the report indicating performance of one or more network elements associated with the customer; and including condition codes in the addressing instructions for triggering generation of alarm messages by the network elements, the alarm messages including the data comprising the reports; wherein the condition codes trigger autonomous messages to notify personnel of failure or fault conditions that require an immediate response; wherein the condition codes trigger transient condition messages to provide a record of events that are momentary; wherein the transient condition messages include at least one of a notification of threshold crossings of performance monitoring (PM) parameters or notification of switches between Working and Protection equipment.