Disclosed is a method of commissioning a tributary blade in a disaggregated network system, including assigning a port ID to a port of an MCU, mapping to a port map a virtual slot ID to the port ID, receiving a registration request from a tributary blade, and assigning the virtual slot ID to the tributary blade. Disclosed is a method of determining whether a mis-cabling condition exists, including determining the whether a virtual slot ID is mapped to a port ID in a port map. Disclosed is a disaggregated network system including an MCU, a first and second tributary blade coupled to the MCU at a first and second port. The MCU is operable to assign a first and second virtual slot ID to the first and second tributary blades. The MCU is operable to map a first and second virtual slot ID to a first and second port ID.