 protection configuration. Configuration commands are issued to agents acting on the network elements, which are able to control the network behaviour. The control points in the network elements are called management control points. For ordinary voice-type networks configuration is performed by commands on the central processor to introduce routing tables, charging tables, end of selection cases, etc., often in order to support the call control function. This may be represented by management functions performed by management agents han- dling resources in the traffic plane and interconnected to it via management control points. The management actions are in this case ordered by centralized management functions. IP networks are different. They handle packets rather than calls. IP networks are based on connectivity control, which is distributed in almost all network elements in the network. In IP, many control functions are autonomous. The typical case is routing where the IP routers learn by themselves the network topology to build up their routing tables. Similar principles are used by PNNI in ATM networks. This case corresponds to decentralized management functions handling a given network resource through a management control point. This autonomous management performed in the network elements does not require central manager intervention. Telecom Management - Operations Customer network management Customer management, IT & system management warehousing Network operation Service provisioning Services (stable need, but the objects develop) Security (stable need, protection technique will develop) Quality of service stable need, enablers will develop) Service layer SW radio Control layer Access Core connectivity Figure 16.13 Configuration management handles configuration of services in different layers for IP, voice and services beyond voice (3, 2, 1 respectively) These facts might mislead us to the thinking that neither centralized management func- tions nor management control points exist in IP networks, apart f