Reliable ping method from Windows?

[Glen Holcomb]

[Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]

Is there a reliable "Ruby" method for pinging/checking whether hosts are up?

I have been using Net:ingExternal as I'm pinging Windows machines and not
all of them have port 7 open. However when I try to check 900 or so
machines I get a SocketError after a while. It complains that there is no
such service echo/tcp. When I try similar code in irb I get the socket
error after a few minutes then if I try the loop again I get the socket
error immediately.

I've tried a generic ICMP packet but that doesn't work under Windows with
the standard Ruby build and I don't have the tools/time to build it my self
under Windows.

 

[Glen Holcomb]

[Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]

Is there a reliable "Ruby" method for pinging/checking whether hosts are
up?

I have been using Net:ingExternal as I'm pinging Windows machines and not
all of them have port 7 open. However when I try to check 900 or so
machines I get a SocketError after a while. It complains that there is no
such service echo/tcp. When I try similar code in irb I get the socket
error after a few minutes then if I try the loop again I get the socket
error immediately.

I've tried a generic ICMP packet but that doesn't work under Windows with
the standard Ruby build and I don't have the tools/time to build it my self
under Windows.

--
"Hey brother Christian with your high and mighty errand, Your actions speak
so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

-Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)

Here is the full method if anyone wants more context:

# Lets find MAC addresses for the machines in the list
def find_macs
# This technique will only give MAC addresses for the machines on our
subnet.
# However since those are the only ones we can wake it doesn't really
matter.
# It is nasty slow and a better way should be found some day.

DB[:computers].each do |computer|
begin
Net:ingExternal.new(computer[:name]).ping
rescue SocketError => exception
next
end
end

arp_table = `arp -a`.split("\n")[2..-1]

arp_table.each do |address|
full_name = Socket.gethostbyname(address.split(' ')[0])

comp = Computer.find :name => full_name.split('.')[0]
comp.mac = address.split(' ')[1].gsub!('-', ':')
comp.save
end
close()
end # find_macs

 

[Jeff Moore]

I've tried a generic ICMP packet but that doesn't work under Windows with
the standard Ruby build and I don't have the tools/time to build it my self
under Windows.

--
"Hey brother Christian with your high and mighty errand, Your actions speak
so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

-Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)

Here is the full method if anyone wants more context:

# Lets find MAC addresses for the machines in the list
def find_macs
# This technique will only give MAC addresses for the machines on
our
subnet.
# However since those are the only ones we can wake it doesn't
really
matter.
# It is nasty slow and a better way should be found some day.

DB[:computers].each do |computer|
begin
Net:ingExternal.new(computer[:name]).ping
rescue SocketError => exception
next
end
end

arp_table = `arp -a`.split("\n")[2..-1]

arp_table.each do |address|
full_name = Socket.gethostbyname(address.split(' ')[0])

comp = Computer.find :name => full_name.split('.')[0]
comp.mac = address.split(' ')[1].gsub!('-', ':')
comp.save
end
close()
end # find_macs

NMap is very fast and comes in a WinDoze flavor.

Since you're already mashing up the arp output,
I assume you will have no qualms about doing the
same for NMap output.

Not a pure Ruby solution but then NMap is open source
so if you're really into purity you could transcribe it's
approach to WinDoze discovery (maybe...possibly...)

But if expedience is the order of the day...

http://nmap.org/

You'll need WinPCap as well (the packet capture lib)

http://www.winpcap.org/

djief

 

[Glen Holcomb]

[Note: parts of this message were removed to make it a legal post.]

I've tried a generic ICMP packet but that doesn't work under Windows with
the standard Ruby build and I don't have the tools/time to build it my self
under Windows.

--
"Hey brother Christian with your high and mighty errand, Your actions speak
so loud, I can't hear a word you're saying."

-Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)

Here is the full method if anyone wants more context:

# Lets find MAC addresses for the machines in the list
def find_macs
# This technique will only give MAC addresses for the machines on
our
subnet.
# However since those are the only ones we can wake it doesn't
really
matter.
# It is nasty slow and a better way should be found some day.

DB[:computers].each do |computer|
begin
Net:ingExternal.new(computer[:name]).ping
rescue SocketError => exception
next
end
end

arp_table = `arp -a`.split("\n")[2..-1]

arp_table.each do |address|
full_name = Socket.gethostbyname(address.split(' ')[0])

comp = Computer.find :name => full_name.split('.')[0]
comp.mac = address.split(' ')[1].gsub!('-', ':')
comp.save
end
close()
end # find_macs

NMap is very fast and comes in a WinDoze flavor.

Since you're already mashing up the arp output,
I assume you will have no qualms about doing the
same for NMap output.

Not a pure Ruby solution but then NMap is open source
so if you're really into purity you could transcribe it's
approach to WinDoze discovery (maybe...possibly...)

But if expedience is the order of the day...

http://nmap.org/

You'll need WinPCap as well (the packet capture lib)

http://www.winpcap.org/

djief

Thanks Jeff,

Although it looks like both parsing arp and the External ping are causing me
other problems. With over 900 machines to check the app keeps borking with
too many open files. So it would appear I need to find another way to
acquire MAC addresses.