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HostAlive is a tool that
periodically checks if a remote host or group of hosts is alive.
HostAlive is based on a simple principle: It sends a network packet
to the destination host and waits for a response. For example, it
can check if the HTTP service on the remote host is up and running.
The type of check and interval are configurable.
To create a list of hosts to be
checked, click on the Hosts
button. Enter the names or IP
addresses of the hosts to be checked. To configure the type of
check, click on the Options
button and configure the
desired type:
Three checking methods are
available:
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Ping:
A standard check using ICMP
ping packets. This is a generic check type that tells you that the
host is connected to the network and the operating system is alive.
It doesn't tell you if a specific network service, such as HTTP or
POP3, is running. Note that hosts behind firewalls may not reply to
ping packets. |
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PortScan:
A check based on the host's
ability to accept a TCP connection. For example, you can check if
the POP3 service is running by scanning TCP port 110. |
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HTTP/GET:
A check for Web servers that
verifies that the remote host accepts connections on the standard
HTTP port and replies with a correct HTTP response. The standard
HTTP port is 80, but you can enter a custom value. |
The following options are also
available:
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Tasks
– configures the number of
simultaneous jobs the tool can launch. |
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Check every, min
– sets the interval in minutes
between checks. |
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Timeout, s
– configures how many seconds
the tool should wait for a response from the host. |
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Number of retries
– sets the number of attempts
to be carried out. |
Once you've entered the list of
the hosts to be checked and configured the options, click
Start
to initiate the process. The
tool will keep on checking the hosts periodically until you
click Stop or exit the applications.
Right-clicking on the window
brings up a menu with the following commands:
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Send To
– sends the selected IP address
to other tools or to SmartWhois. |
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Copy IP Address
– copies the selected
computer's IP address to the clipboard. |
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Copy Hostname
– copies the selected hostname
to the clipboard. |
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Copy Results
– copies the HostAlive table to
the clipboard. |
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Save – saves the HostAlive table to a
file. |
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