This article describes the application of telecommunication management
network principles to the management of network elements in SDH netwo
rks and the use of information modelling to define standardized manage
ment interfaces on network elements. Information modelling has proved
an invaluable tool for the specification of management interfaces in a
n implementation independent way. The article explains the basic princ
iples behind the SDH network element model and the specification techn
iques by which it is formally expressed.