An automatic service discovery approach allows a network management system to discover service managed objects from the network, eliminating the need for a user or other management application to provide such information. As a result, a network management system can automatically perform network-level or services level discovery of objects and services for which network components have no understanding. Embodiments are applicable, for example, in the context of management of packet voice (VoIP, VoATM) and metro Ethernet (TLS service) domains, as well as other domains.