Method and Apparatus for Configuring Service Equipment Elements in a Network

Abstract

A method for configuring a plurality of service equipment elements located along a data path connecting two elements in a network, said network comprising a plurality of administration servers, each administration server being responsible for configuring a respectively different plurality of service equipment elements, said method comprising: sending a trial-balloon message along said data path, said trial-balloon message when being received by a service equipment element in said data path causing said service equipment element to contact its corresponding administration server and said trial-balloon message further being forwarded by said service equipment element by which it was received to the next service equipment element in said data path; said administration elements in response to being contacted by their respective service equipment elements configuring said service equipment elements in accordance with context information received by said administration servers.