diff --git a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/GraphDBUtils.java b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/GraphDBUtils.java
index ba48103..7283d09 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/GraphDBUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/GraphDBUtils.java
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@
 	}
 
 	@Override
+	public ISwitchObject searchActiveSwitch(GraphDBConnection conn, String dpid) {
+	    ISwitchObject sw = searchSwitch(conn, dpid);
+	    if ((sw != null) &&
+		sw.getState().equals(SwitchState.ACTIVE.toString())) {
+		return sw;
+	    }
+	    return null;
+	}
+
+	@Override
 	public IDeviceObject searchDevice(GraphDBConnection conn, String macAddr) {
 		// TODO Auto-generated method stub
 		FramedGraph<TitanGraph> fg = conn.getFramedGraph();	
diff --git a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/IDBUtils.java b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/IDBUtils.java
index 864e227..51948a2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/IDBUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/onrc/onos/util/IDBUtils.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 public interface IDBUtils {	
 	public ISwitchObject searchSwitch(GraphDBConnection conn, String dpid);
+	public ISwitchObject searchActiveSwitch(GraphDBConnection conn, String dpid);
 	public Iterable<ISwitchObject> getActiveSwitches(GraphDBConnection conn);
 	public Iterable<ISwitchObject> getAllSwitches(GraphDBConnection conn);
 	public Iterable<ISwitchObject> getInactiveSwitches(GraphDBConnection conn);