In a communication network, the network management system NMS keeps one or more element management system EMS in synchronization of network topology changes using requests that are automatically generated or manually requested and then sent from the NMS to the affected EMS(s) whenever a node topology change is made at the NMS. Examples of changes are node creation, node move, node group move, node group renaming, etc. As the changes are completed in the EMS topology database, the EMS sends acknowledgments of the request to the NMS. This functionality requires verification of the validity of the request for that specific EMS, before the change is implemented at the NMS.