Patent ID: 7116770

Claim:
A communication network, comprising: at least one instance of a first object type associated with a first product of the communication network; at least one instance of a second object type associated with a second product of the communication network; first local means for configuring each instance of the first object type; second local means for configuring each instance of the second object type; a network management server comprising a product specific coordinator including means for coordinating configuration activities among each instance of the first object type via the first local means and means for coordinating configuration activities among each instance of the second object type via the second local means and further comprising a network coordinator adapted for configuring each instance of a network object comprising a first component associated with the first object type and a second component associated with the second object type; and a network management client including a graphical user interface adapted for enabling a user to invoke the network management server; wherein network managed objects define network entry objects representing components residing in one or more nodes and resource objects defined by a plurality of endpoints and product entry objects representing local objects presented to network entry objects and those not associated with network entry objects.