Network - Ping

Declaration

<AMNETWORK ACTIVITY="send" 
HOST="text" 
TIMEOUT="number" 
MEASURE="text (options)" 
RESULTVARIABLE="text" 
IPADDRESSVARIABLE="text" />

Description: Sends a "ping" request to a computer. Ping is used to test server response times on a TCP/IP network.

Practical Usage

Used to check response times of servers connected to the Internet or private TCP/IP network. If the computer does not respond within the time specified, this step generates an error.

General Parameters

Property

Type

Required

Default

Markup

Description

Hostname or IP

Text or Number

Yes

(Empty)

  1. HOST="server.domain.com"

  2. HOST="xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"

The host name (e.g., server.domain.com) or IP address (i.e.555.555.555.555) that should be "pinged."

Time to wait

Number

No

10

TIMEOUT="2"

The length of time this step should wait for a response from the server being "pinged" before generating an error. This value is used along with the Measure parameter.

Measure

Text (options)

No

seconds

MEASURE="minutes"

The time measure to use along with the Time to wait parameter. The available options are:

  • Milliseconds - Wait time will be measured in milliseconds.

  • Seconds (default) - Wait time will be measured in seconds.

  • Minutes - Wait time will be measured in minutes.

  • Hours - Wait time will be measured in hours.

Populate variable with relay time (milliseconds)

Text

No

(Empty)

RESULTVARIABLE="theRelayTime"

The name of an existing variable to populate with the total relay time (in milliseconds).

Populate variable with IP address

Text

No

(Empty)

IPADDRESSVARIABLE="theIP"

The name of an existing variable to populate with the "pinged" IP address.

Description tab - A custom description can be provided on the Description tab to convey additional information or share special notes about a task step.

Error Causes tab - Specify how this step should behave upon the occurrence of an error. (Refer to Task Builder > Error Causes Tab for details.)

On Error tab - Specify what AWE should do if this step encounters an error as defined on the Error Causes tab. (Refer to Task Builder > On Error Tab for details.)

Example

The sample AML code below can be copied and pasted directly into the Steps panel of the Task Builder.

Description:  Ping "123.456.789.123". Populate variable "theRelayTime" with relay time. Populate variable "theIP" with IP address. Ping times out after 2 minutes.

<AMPING HOST="123.456.789.123" TIMEOUT="2" MEASURE="minutes" 
RESULTVARIABLE="theRelayTime" IPADDRESSVARIABLE="theIP" />