Systems and method for detecting failover capability of a network device

1. A system for detection of a failover capability of a network device, the system comprising:

a network controller in communication with one or more switches in a network, at least one switch of the one or more switches in communication with the network device, the network controller to:

detect network traffic from the network device through a first port of a first switch of the one or more switches;

disable the first port;

monitor for additional network traffic from the network device through a different port on the network;

if the additional network traffic is not detected at the different port after a timeout period long enough for the network device to failover:

re-enable the first port;

monitor for the additional network traffic from the network device through the first port;

if the additional network traffic from the network device is detected on the first port, note the device as not having failover capability;

if the additional network traffic from the network device is not detected on the first port, note the device as having failover capability; and

if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network, the network controller notes the device as having failover capability.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the different port is on a different switch on the network.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the different port of the different switch is communicatively coupled to a port of a plurality of ports on the network device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein, if the additional network traffic is not detected at the different port after the timeout period, the network controller ceases monitoring for the additional network traffic before re-enabling the first port.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the network is a software defined network SON, the first switch is an SON switch, and the network controller is an SON controller.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first port of the first switch is communicatively coupled to a first port of a plurality of ports on the network device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein, if the additional network traffic from the network device is not detected on the first port after re-enabling the first port, the network controller detects a new port of a new switch on the network in communication with a failover port of the network device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network, the network controller re-enables the first port.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network, the network controller further:

monitors for the additional network traffic from the network device through the first port; and

notes the device as having failover capability with a preference for communicating through the first port, if the additional network traffic from the network device is again detected on the first port.

10. A method for detecting a failover capability of a network device, the method comprising:

detecting network traffic from a network device through a first port of a first switch of a network, the first switch in electronic communication with the device;

disabling the first port;

monitoring for additional network traffic from the network device through a different port on the network;

if the additional network traffic is not detected at the different port after a timeout period long enough for the network device to failover:

re-enabling the first port;

monitoring for the additional network traffic from the network device through the first port;

if the additional network traffic from the network device is detected on the first port, marking the device as not having failover capability;

if the additional network traffic from the network device is not detected on the first port, marking the device as having failover capability; and

if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network, marking the device as having failover capability.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the different port is on a different switch on the network.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the different port of the different switch is communicatively coupled to a port of a plurality of ports on the network device.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, if the additional network traffic is not detected at the different port after the timeout period, ceasing monitoring for the additional network traffic before re-enabling the first port.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the network is a software defined network SON, the first switch is an SON switch and the network controller is an SON controller.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first port of the first switch is communicatively coupled to a first port of a plurality of ports on the network device.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, if the additional network traffic from the network device is not detected on the first port after re-enabling the first port, detecting a new port of a new switch on the network in communication with a failover port of the network device.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network, re-enabling the first port.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, if the additional network traffic is detected at the different port on the network,

monitoring for the additional network traffic from the network device through the first port;

marking the device as having failover capability if the additional network traffic from the network device is not detected on the first port; and

marking the device as having failover capability with a preference for communicating through the first port, if the additional network traffic from the network device is again detected on the first port.