System and method for network element synchronization

摘要

In a backbone telecommunications network an element management system (10) such as ITM-SC or WS-SNMS, is arranged to send to a network element (46) which it manages a number of timed messages requesting a response indicating the time (TNE) indicated by a real time clock in that element; measuring the mean round trip time (t mean) of the request and response messages; from the mean round trip time and the indicted time (TNE) determining whether any drift of the real time clock exceeds a predetermined threshold and, if so, resetting the real time clock to a value adjusted to take account of the time taken to send a message to the element. <IMAGE>