Automatic detection of reachable network elements

Abstract From the Canadian patent

In a telecommunications management network indications of newly reachable network elements and indications that existing network elements cease to be reachable are maintained automatically and the need for manually inputting such information is eliminated by employing a routing exchange protocol to dynamically maintain identity information of network elements reachable within the network and by enhancing the routing exchange protocol interface to automatically supply an indication that a newly reachable network element has been detected or an indication that an existing network element has ceased to be reachable to an applications layer protocol. (FIG.1).