Traditional network management approach involves the management of each vendor’s equipment and network segment in isolation through its own proprietary element management system. It is necessary to set up a new network management architecture that calls for operation consolidation across vendor and technology boundaries. In this paper,an architectural model for Intelligent Network Management (INM) is presented. The INM system includes a manager system, which controls all subsystems and coordinates different management tasks; an expert system, which is responsible for handling particularly difficult problems, and intelligent agents, which bring the management closer to applications and user requirements by spreading intelligent agents through network segments or domain. In the expert system model proposed, especially an intelligent fault management system is given. The architectural model is to build the INM system to meet the need of managing modern network systems. Traditional network management approach involves the management of each vendor’s equipment and network segment in isolation through its own proprietary element management system. It is necessary to set up a new network management architecture that calls for operation consolidation across vendor and technology boundaries. In this paper, an architectural model for Intelligent Network Management (INM) is presented. The INM system includes a manager system, which controls all subsystems and coordinates different management tasks; an expert system, which is responsible for handling particularly difficult problems, and intelligent agents, which bring the management closer to applications and user requirements by spreading intelligent agents through network segments or domain. In the expert system model proposed, especially an intelligent fault management system is given. The architectural model is to build the INM system to meet the need of managing modern network systems.