This European Telecommunication Standard (ETS) provides an information model for the payload configuration management of Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) networks. This model describes the managed object classes and their properties for the payload configuration function as related to SDH Network Elements (NEs). These objects are useful to describe information exchanged across interfaces defined in CCITT Recommendation M.3010 [1] Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) architecture for the management of the payload configuration function. This ETS defines: - an information model@ as related to the payload configuration for the SDH. This ETS does not define: - the protocol stack to be used for message communication; - the network level management processes; - the application contexts; - the conformance requirements to be met by an implementation of this information model; - information models for other systems or equipment. The information model defined here (and the corresponding message set) is concerned with the management of NEs@ the equipment by which they are implemented and the functions contained within them. More precisely@ it applies to an equipment domain visible at the element manager to element interface and is only concerned with information available within that domain. Information proper to the domain of a network level management process is not included within this model.