Disclosed is a method and a device for generating report data related to a status of an interface of a network element are presented. The method includes: activating a delay timer when the interface status changes, setting delay-based data to express the interface status at the end of a delay determined by the delay-timer, setting dampening-based data to express the interface status if a penalty value fulfils a pre-determined condition and otherwise to express that the interface is non-utilizable, and setting the report data to express that the interface is utilizable if both the delay-based data and the dampening-based data express that the interface is utilizable. The penalty value is decreased with a dampening rule, and the penalty value is increased when the interface becomes non-utilizable and increasing the penalty value within a time-window is below a desired limit.