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Timbo (4486)

Timbo
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Journal of Timbo (4486)

Thursday August 14, 2003

05:31 PM

Web application monitoring

[ #14129 ]

Does anyone know of a perl (or other, failing that) program to monitor an url, watch for certain text (like "ASP 0115", hypothetically), and perform some action? I could write the program myself, but would prefer to be lazy and impatient.

I support tens of web applications running on IIS and Apache. The main page of each one can return either valid data or invalid data. The ideal script would be able to

retrieve the return value of urls defined in a config file on a schedule

run regexes against the returned text, looking for either success or failure identifiers defined in a configuration file

if a failure test returns true, perform some action as defined specifically for that failure identifier

keep track of successive failures

email an account if the automatic resolution fails

log all results and actions

Free would be a very nice price (and a very nice right), but my company might be willing to purchase COTS rather than pay for my time to develop it. I've looked at BigBrother and Microsoft Application Center, but BigBrother can't look inside pages (from my reading of the docs) and Application Center is too IIS specific. Any ideas?

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HTTP::WebTest (Score:2, Informative)

by johnseq (1046)

HTTP::Webtest might be useful. It's actively developed and easy to use.

You should be able to cron an almost-one-liner that greps webtest output and does something when it find failed tests.
- Re:HTTP::WebTest (Score:1)
  
  by Timbo (4486)
  
  That is beautiful. You have no idea how much goodwill this is going to earn me... can I buy you a beer or pizza or name my next child after you?
  Wow. Here I thought this whole blog thing was just going to be an excercise in talking to myself... in the first day, I've been handed a raise by a complete stranger. Pretty soon, I'm going to be running for Governor of California!
  - Re:HTTP::WebTest (Score:2)
    
    by merlyn (47)
    Also look at Test::* together with WWW::Mechanize. I've got a major client doing that, and I'll be doing some column articles on it as well.
    
    --
    
    Randal L. Schwartz
    
    Stonehenge
    - Re:HTTP::WebTest (Score:1)
      
      by Timbo (4486)
      
      I'll look forward to those articles...
      HTTP::WebTest looks quite capable, but I'm always looking for a better way to do things.
      On a totally separate topic, I wish I could have joined you for the Alaska Perl Mongers barbecue when you were up here at the end of the last Geek Cruise... I trust you enjoyed your trip?
CAM (Score:1)

by cbrandtbuffalo (4462)

I got some email on a new monitoring thing called Covalent Application Manager (CAM). It looks like a full-blown monitoring solution with lots of reporting. I'm trying to find time to evaluate it. I did sit in on one webinar and it looks promising.

Covalent [covalent.com] does apache stuff, so they should have a good step up on monitoring. Don't yet know how much $, but looks like it might be pricey.
- Re:CAM (Score:1)
  
  by Timbo (4486)
  
  Thanks! I'll take a closer look, but from what I can tell HTTP::WebTest will probably do it for us. I'll keep you posted. Stay tuned...