Patent ID: 8559302

Claim:
A network element comprising: a first plug-in unit comprising: a first client-side port; a first network-side port communicatively coupled to the first client-side port; a first processor; and a first management module embodied in a computer-readable medium and configured to be read and executed by the first processor; a second plug-in unit communicatively coupled to the first plug-in unit via a mate link, the second plug-in unit comprising: a second client-side port; a second network-side port communicatively coupled to the first client-side port; a second processor; and a second management module embodied in a computer-readable medium and configured to be read and executed by the second processor; wherein, the first management module is further configured to, when read and executed by the first processor, provision: a first flow from the first client-side port to the first network-side port; a second flow from the first network-side port to the first client-side port; a third flow from the first network-side port to the mate link, the third flow configured to interface with a fourth flow from the mate link to the second client-side port; a fifth flow from the mate link to the first network-side port, the fifth flow configured to interface with a sixth flow from the second client-side port to the mate link; a seventh flow from the first client-side port to the mate link, the seventh flow configured to interface with an eighth flow from the mate link to the second network-side port; and a ninth flow from the mate link to the first client-side port, the ninth flow configured to interface with a tenth flow from the second network-side port to the mate link; and wherein, the second management module is further configured to, when read and executed by the second processor, provision: the fourth flow; the sixth flow; the eighth flow; the tenth flow; an eleventh flow from the second client-side port to the second network-side port; and a twelfth flow from the second network-side port to the second client-side port.