Patent ID: 7730229

Claim:
A method for determining an active/standby state for an interface unit, the method executed by one or more processors and comprising: determining an entity active/standby state for each entity of a plurality of entities of an interface unit of a network system to yield a plurality of entity active/standby states, the entities of the interface unit distinct from a plurality of fibers communicating a plurality of signals of the network system, the plurality of entities comprising a plurality of pluggables; if each entity active/standby state of the entity active/standby states is standby, then determining that an aggregated active/standby state that takes into account the entity active/standby states of the entities of the interface unit is standby indicating that removal of the interface unit will not affect service; if any entity active/standby state of the entity active/standby states is active, determining that the aggregated active/standby state of the interface unit is active; and providing monitoring information comprising the aggregated active/standby state to a component of the network system.