an element management system interfaces between a telephone company computer or a terminal for use by a telephone company system administrator or customer service representative , and a telephone network element such as a central office or a group of central offices . in order to store and process subscriber data during the time periods when a telephone computer system is busy controlling telephone switching functions and therefore giving low priority to such data , the ems contains a proxy database and maintains it between the periods when access to the telephone computer system is desired and available , without detrimentally involving the telephone computer system , the telephone switching network or any elements thereof . the ems is capable of operating as the sole repository of subscriber data in a telephone computer system configured to operate in such an environment . the proxy database effectively mirrors subscriber data in one or more central offices and / or other network elements of the telephone computer system . by utilizing the proxy database , the ems provides relatively current subscriber data to telephone company personnel and systems , and accepts telephone network configuration commands from such personnel and systems , communicates the commands to the corresponding network elements , and upon receiving information indicating that the commands have been carried out , provides verification information to the client personnel and systems .