ping.rb

Path: ping.rb
Last Update: Sat Oct 15 23:44:28 AUS Eastern Standard Time 2005
 ping.rb -- check a host for upness

SYNOPSIS

   require 'ping'
    print "'jimmy' is alive and kicking\n" if Ping.pingecho('jimmy', 10) ;

DESCRIPTION

 This module contains routines to test for the reachability of remote hosts.
 Currently the only routine implemented is pingecho().

 pingecho() uses a TCP echo (I<not> an ICMP one) to determine if the
 remote host is reachable. This is usually adequate to tell that a remote
 host is available to rsh(1), ftp(1), or telnet(1) onto.

Parameters

  : hostname

    The remote host to check, specified either as a hostname or as an
    IP address.

  : timeout

    The timeout in seconds. If not specified it will default to 5 seconds.

  : service

    The service port to connect.  The default is "echo".

WARNING

 pingecho() uses user-level thread to implement the timeout, so it may block
 for long period if named does not respond for some reason.

end

Required files

timeout   socket  

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