A method may include: (i) provisioning a first network-side interface of a first plug-in unit and a second network-side interface of a second plug-in unit as members of a network-side protection group, the first plug-in unit and the second plug-in unit integral to an adaptation layer network element; (ii) provisioning a first client-side interface of the first plug-in unit and a second client-side interface of the second plug-in unit as members of a client-side protection group; (iii) designating one of the first and second network-side interface as an active network-side interface of the network-side protection group; and (iv) designating one of the first second client-side interface as an active client-side interface of the client-side protection group, such that traffic ingressing on the active network-side interface may egress on the active client-side interface and traffic ingressing on the active client-side interface may egress on the active network-side interface.