Technique for identifying a failed network interface card within a team of network interface cards

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing a first computing device having a first network interface card (NIC) and a second NIC configured as a team and sharing a first Internet Protocol (IP) address to identify a failed NIC by performing the steps of:

• directing, by a management processing unit included in the first computing device, the first NIC to transmit a first data packet to a third NIC at a second IP address that is different from the first IP address, wherein the third NIC is not a member of the team, and wherein the first NIC and the second NIC reside in the first computing device, and the third NIC resides in a second computing device;
• determining, by the management processing unit, whether the first NIC is faulty based on whether the first NIC receives a response from the third NIC associated with the transmission of the first data packet to the third NIC;
• and
• directing, by the management processing unit, the first NIC to transmit a second data packet to the second NIC if the first NIC receives the response from the third NIC, or directing the second NIC to transmit the second data packet to the third NIC if the first NIC does not receive the response from the third NIC.

A computing device having a first network interface card (NIC) and a second NIC configured as a team and sharing a first Internet Protocol (IP) address, the computing device configured to identify a failed NIC within in the team, the computing device comprising:

• a memory;
• a central processing unit;
• and
• a management processing unit configured to:
• direct the first NIC to transmit a first data packet to a third NIC at a second IP address that is different from the first IP address, wherein the third NIC is not a member of the team, and wherein the first NIC and the second NIC reside in said computing device, and the third NIC resides in another computing device;
• determine whether the first NIC is faulty based on whether the first NIC receives a response from the third NIC associated with the transmission of the first data packet to the third NIC;
• and
• direct the first NIC to transmit a second data packet to the second NIC if the first NIC receives the response from the third NIC, or direct the second NIC to transmit the second data packet to the third NIC if the first NIC does not receive the response from the third NIC.