Abstract: A Telecom Adapter Layer (TAL) system includes a management unit and an execution unit connected via a distributed bus. In order to acquire network element (NE) information, an external service module sends a Get Info request to the execution unit according to the reference of the execution unit, and the execution unit acquires information from an NE according to the request and returns the NE information acquired from the NE to the external service module. The execution unit can be deployed in a device other than the service module or the management unit. The TAL system may be expanded to include more than one management unit and/or execution unit. By acquiring NE information from the execution unit, the TAL system is capable to perform NE management across a firewall.