US Patent 7417958 Method for identifying a control element

A method of identifying a control element of a telecommunication system as well as a telecommunication system and a control element for executing this method. The telecommunication system has a plurality of control elements, wherein the control element are connected via respective predefined ports with respective predefined Ethernet switches of a communication network connecting elements of the telecommunication system. The control element sends a request for determining its identification to an Ethernet switch. The Ethernet switch determines the position of the control element in the communication network based on the position of the Ethernet switch within the communication network and based on the port, the control element is connected with the Ethernet switch. It replies position information to the control element. The control element uses an identification based on the received position information for identifying the control element against other elements of the telecommunication system.