Development cost and time required to support new transmission interfaces is reduced in a digital communication system including a network element provisioned as a Directory Services Network Element (DSNE) by partitioning the telecommunications management network in such a manner that permits the integration of the DSNE with other network elements, or portions thereof, to present an external appearance of it being a single, integrated network element from an OAM&P perspective. This is realized by provisioning the integrated network element, or portions thereof, such that it can only provide its identity information to the DSNE and can only receive the DSNE identity information. The DSNE will not provide the identity information of the integrated network element, or portions thereof, to any network elements in a sub-network interfaced to the integrated network element. Consequently, the fact that the network element, or portions thereof, has been integrated into the DSNE is transparent to the network elements in the interface sub-network and the DSNE and integrated network element appear to the sub-network as a single "new DSNE".