You create and configure the following network elements:
NE templates are similar to network elements: they exist in projects, they have vendor, technology, and software loads, and so forth. However, you can set up network element templates so that they can be copied later to create one or many specific network elements.
Network elements represent the information needed to connect to one specific piece of equipment on the network. Separate connection pools allow more than one connection to a piece of equipment, and for each connection you can set up a different connection pool. Pools have parameters that are used by connection handlers.
Dynamic NE templates represent an additional method for specifying how to connect to a piece of equipment on the network. However, in contrast to a network element (where one network element is created for each piece of equipment, and a template can be used to assist with creation of multiple network elements), one dynamic NE template is created for a vendor, technology, and software load (and not for a piece of equipment). When an order comes into the system, half of the connection information is in the dynamic NE template, the other half is in the order. Therefore, the connection pool is created at run time and is discarded when no longer needed. Consequently, you are not required to set up network elements individually. Instead, you set up only the profile and then enter the connection information on the order.