Re: oracle 8i webdb pinging utility

IANAL_VISTA wrote:
> "Jeremy Becker" <jeremy.p.becker_at_gmail.com> wrote in
> news:1117212147.568544.169100_at_o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:
>
>

>>Here's the deal. I've got an old Oracle 8i WebDB site that I want to
>>add functionality where a user will input an IP / server name and the
>>submit will launch a utility to ping the server and test if it's alive.
>> Does anyone know of any type of Oracle utility or prebuilt package
>>that might handle this type of request?
>>
>>

It's 8i WebDb - probably meaning WebDb 2.2 or 2.3. OP should clarify his environment, for now, I will assume WebDb 2.3

> 1st challenge is get "get out of the DB to the OS" just to do the ping.

Why? UTL_TCP has an open_connection function, that could be used.

> 2nd challenge is to get the results of the ping back to the code in the DB
> so results can be reported or used.

Look at the exceptions after a time out on UTL_TCP.OPEN_CONNECTION. I did not have a good look, so probably there are more functions or procedures that could be used, maybe even within WebDb.

> A shovel is a great tool for creating a hole in the ground, but
> only when the corrent end of the shovel contacts the earth.
> You're using the "wrong end" of the database.
>
> You're trying to use the wrong tool for this problem.
> It has NOTHING to do with an Oracle database.
> It could be done via a simple CGI that never gets close to the DB.

As the OP isn't talking DB, you're shoveling too fast and too hard.

Jeremy, you cannot always ping a server (my firewall used to drop pings - not even respond 'destination unreachable'), which equally doesn't mean the server isn't up. Besides, what does a ping say? Nothing; I'd go for an attempt to open a connection - that way you can show that the service is actually there (SSH, TCP, HTTP(S) - whatever)

-- 
Regards,
Frank van Bortel