An apparatus, comprising: a destination edge device configured to receive one or more first validation packets according to a switch fabric validation protocol, the destination edge device configured to validate a plurality of data paths through a distributed switch fabric from a source edge device to the destination edge device based on the one or more first validation packets, wherein the destination edge device includes a fabric validation module configured to receive the one or more first validation packets, the fabric validation module configured to parse the one or more first validation packets to determine a status of the plurality of data paths through the distributed switch fabric from the source edge device to the destination edge device, and wherein the one or more first validation packets are packets upon which validation of the plurality of data paths through the distributed switch fabric from the source edge device to the destination edge device, by the destination edge device, is based, to identify any failures within any possible path through the distributed switch fabric that the first validation packets can be sent from the source edge device to the destination edge device, and to determine a first status state indicating the status of the plurality of paths through the distributed switch, and the switch fabric validation protocol is a protocol associated with the distributed switch fabric, the destination edge device configured to send, in response to receiving the one or more first validation packets, a second validation packet to a destination peripheral processing device, the destination edge device configured to send the second validation packet according to a validation protocol different from the switch fabric validation protocol, the switch fabric validation protocol supporting a different number of status states than the validation protocol of the second validation packet, wherein the destination edge device is configured to send the second validation packet with a second status state based on the first status state and wherein the second validation packet is a packet configured to cause the destination peripheral processing device to validate a data path from a source peripheral processing device through the distributed switch fabric to the destination peripheral processing device, and the validation protocol of the second validation packet is a protocol with which the destination peripheral processing device is compatible. a destination edge device configured to receive one or more first validation packets according to a switch fabric validation protocol, the destination edge device configured to validate a plurality of data paths through a distributed switch fabric from a source edge device to the destination edge device based on the one or more first validation packets, wherein the destination edge device includes a fabric validation module configured to receive the one or more first validation packets, the fabric validation module configured to parse the one or more first validation packets to determine a status of the plurality of data paths through the distributed switch fabric from the source edge device to the destination edge device, and wherein the one or more first validation packets are packets upon which validation of the plurality of data paths through the distributed switch fabric from the source edge device to the destination edge device, by the destination edge device, is based, to identify any failures within any possible path through the distributed switch fabric that the first validation packets can be sent from the source edge device to the destination edge device, and to determine a first status state indicating the status of the plurality of paths through the distributed switch, and the switch fabric validation protocol is a protocol associated with the distributed switch fabric, the destination edge device configured to send, in response to receiving the one or more first validation packets, a second validation packet to a destination peripheral processing device, the destination edge device configured to send the second validation packet according to a validation protocol different from the switch fabric validation protocol, the switch fabric validation protocol supporting a different number of status states than the validation protocol of the second validation packet, wherein the destination edge device is configured to send the second validation packet with a second status state based on the first status state and wherein the second validation packet is a packet configured to cause the destination peripheral processing device to validate a data path from a source peripheral processing device through the distributed switch fabric to the destination peripheral processing device, and the validation protocol of the second validation packet is a protocol with which the destination peripheral processing device is compatible.