Patent ID: 8327021

Claim:
A method of finding connectivity solutions for network elements to be switched into a path in a network managed by a network management system NMS, wherein each network element comprises input ports and output ports, each of the ports enabling a plurality of connection points; the method comprising providing a network management system (NMS) in a centralized location in the network, wherein the network further comprises said network elements, providing, in the NMS, a connectivity table CT comprising data on possible internal connections between various types of connection points of any input port and various types of connection points of any output port in any network element managed by said NMS, selecting, in the network management system NMS, a path in the network managed by the NMS, selecting, in the NMS, a connectivity solution for a particular network element based on the data comprised in the CT, whenever said particular network element, with its input port and its output port, is selected to be used in the path.