Patent ID: 8131871

Claim:
A method comprising: defining, by use of a processor, a plurality of port groups associated with a bridging device, each port group of the plurality of port groups including a plurality of interfaces linked to the bridging device, the plurality of the interfaces of each port group being active during normal operations, the bridging device linking a first network to a second network; defining a plurality of statuses for each port group of the plurality of port groups, a status for a port group being dependent on the individual statuses of each of the plurality of interfaces of the port group linked to the bridging device and including an associated predefined action, the predefined action being selected from the group: rerouting data, activating a backup device, and sending an error message, wherein the status of each port group of the plurality of port groups is dependent on the status of the bridging device; defining at least one target port associated with each port group of the plurality of port, each target port relating to a path for data between the first network and the second network; monitoring the status of the plurality of interfaces associated with each port group of the plurality of port groups, wherein monitoring the status comprising: monitoring the status of the bridging device, and determining the status of each port group of the plurality of port groups based on the monitored status of the bridging device and the monitored status of the plurality of interfaces associated with each port group of the plurality of port groups; determining the status of each port group of the plurality of port groups based on the monitored status of the plurality of interfaces associated with each port group; and in response to determining the status of a port group, triggering the predefined action associated with the port group status at one of the port group's target ports, the predefined action including creating a bridged path between the first network and the second network and by-passing the bridging device if the status of a port group associated with bridging device is determined to be inactive, the by-passing the bridging device including routing data on the bridged path through a network switch so that data is no longer routed through the bridging device.