1. A communication system, comprising: a plurality of clients; a plurality of network elements; and an element management system (EMS) interfaced with the clients and the network elements, the EMS configured to track which of the network elements are of interest to the clients, the EMS further configured to automatically monitor the network elements based on which of the network elements are determined, by the EMS, to be of interest to the clients, the EMS further configured to provide the clients with information indicative of the monitored elements.