def verifyNgpfProtocolStarted(self, protocolObj, ignoreFailure=False, timeout=30):
        """
        Description
           Verify if NGPF protocol started.

        Parameter
           protocolObj: <str>: /api/v1/sessions/1/ixnetwork/topology/1/deviceGroup/1
           timeout: <int>: The timeout value. Default=30 seconds.
        """
        for counter in range(1,timeout+1):
            # sessionStatus is a list of status for each 'session' (host)
            sessionStatus = self.getSessionStatus(protocolObj)
            self.ixnObj.logInfo('\nVerifyNgpfProtocolStarted: %s' % protocolObj, timestamp=False)

            if counter < timeout:
                count = 0
                for session in sessionStatus:
                    if session in ['notStarted', 'down']:
                        count += 1
                self.ixnObj.logInfo('\t{0} out of {1} sessions are still down'.format(count, len(sessionStatus)), timestamp=False)
                self.ixnObj.logInfo('\tWait %d/%d seconds' % (counter, timeout), timestamp=False)
                time.sleep(1)

            if counter == timeout:
                count = 0
                for session in sessionStatus:
                    if session in ['notStarted', 'down']:
                        count += 1
                
                if count != 0:
                    errMsg = '{0} out of {1} sessions failed to start'.format(count, len(sessionStatus))
                    self.ixnObj.logError(errMsg)
                    if ignoreFailure == False:
                        raise IxNetRestApiException(errMsg)
                    else:
                        return 1

            if counter < timeout:
                flag = 0
                for session in sessionStatus:
                    if session in ['notStarted', 'down']:
                        flag = 1
                if flag == 0:
                    self.ixnObj.logInfo('\tTotal of {0} sessions started'.format(len(sessionStatus)), timestamp=False)
                    return 0