Patent ID: 7876671

Claim:
An electronics apparatus comprising: an electronic device having at least first and second ports in communication with respective first and second communication paths by each of which communications can be made with the electronic device; a first port bypass circuit or switch arranged to selectively disable communications with the first port over the first communication path and a second port bypass circuit or switch arranged to selectively disable communications with the second port over the second communication path; and, a management device comprising one or more electronic circuits in communication via links with the first and second port bypass circuits or switches, the one or more circuits of the management device being constructed and arranged to collect information over the links concerning the performance of the first and second ports and to apply a decision threshold to said information to decide whether or not each port has failed, wherein if said decision is that the first port has failed, the management device is arranged to generate a signal over the link with the first port bypass circuit or switch to disable communication over the first communication path and to adjust the decision threshold for the second port.