JustPageProbe

JustPageProbe (Freeware)

Introduction:

JustPageProbe is a handy, free, ActiveX DLL (JustPageProbe.dll) for testing Web pages and other applications, it also has an email method built in to send emails when certain conditions exist.
It can be used with home and/or enterprise networks.

JustPageProbe opens any URL of your choice and reads the entire text content of that Web Page. It is very easy to use. Typically it is run from a scheduled task using a simple VBScript so that it can periodically read the page you have specified. It can also be added to any application that can 'drive' an ActiveX Component - like Visual Basic, C/C++ or any number of host environments such as Office applications (Excel, Word) etc.

By using a scheduled task, you do not need to be logged on to the testing computer. It can run 24x7. (e.g. a monitoring server or workstation.)

Installation:

The JustPageProbe component runs on Windows 2000 (SP3) or higher, XP, Windows Server 2003 (all), Windows Server 2008 (all), Windows Vista (all). Simply run setup.exe to install JustPageProbe in the default location (or location of your choice).

Following Microsoft guidelines, if you use the default location, note that any log files used with JustPageProbe should not be placed in C:\Program Files\Eastern Digital\JustPageProbe\ as this area is read only for Windows non-administrative users.

NOTE: JustPageProbe is free of any spyware, addware, PhoneHomeWare, malware or Viruses/Trojans etc.

Here is a simple VBScript to test a Web page and return the time taken in seconds to retrieve the page.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoProbe, Result

URLtoProbe = "http://www.microsoft.com"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")
Result = Page.PageProbeTime(URLtoProbe)
Set Page = Nothing

MsgBox(Result)

Some examples of JustPageProbe uses:

Have JustPageProbe check a web page at fixed intervals. If a failure is detected i.e. the probe fails to find the keyword that you know is in the page, an optional alert can be sent by email to any address (e.g. webmaster or system administrator). Simply set up several scheduled tasks, or run through your tests sequentially if you have a large number of Web servers to test. See sample code here.
Have JustPageProbe 'probe' a site that returns the Internet IP address of your router / Computer. Extract the IP and have it emailed to you at another location! Great for accessing your home network if you are not using a dynamic DNS service (or that service updates too slowly). See sample code here.
Keep your router (internet connection) "always on". A large number of routers log off after 5 minutes of inactivity. This can make your first Web page load seem very slow to load as the log-on is processed. Simply set up a scheduled task to have JustPageProbe call any web page every 3 minutes to keep your router connection "up"!
If you are being charged by the megabyte, most ISP companies have free sites - simply point JustPageProbe at one of those free pages. See sample code here.

Functions:

Note: When searching the Web page text for the desired key phrase string, all testing is performed internally in uppercase.

Function	Return Value	Parameters	Sample
PageDownload	String All raw html for the page under test.	UrlToDownload as a string e.g. "http://google.com"
PageProbe	Formatted string containing the following details: Sent page request at: 30/03/2007 7:38:27 PM Response complete at: 30/03/2007 7:38:31 PM Duration: 4 Key text found ok. OR Key text NOT FOUND.	UrlToTest as a string, Key text expected to be found as a string
PageProbeFindText	Boolean VB/VBScript True or False (True = Key text found).	UrlToTest as a string, Key text expected to be found as a string.
PageProbeTime	Variant Seconds taken to retrieve page. VB/VBScript (Integer).	UrlToTest as a string e.g. "http://google.com"
SendEmail	Variant Either 0 (Integer) Email sent ok. OR VB/VBScript Error number (Integer).	From as a string, To as a string, Subject as a string, Msg as a string, SMTP Server as a string

Function Samples:

PageDownload

Download all web page text and write to a file.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoDownload, Results, fsolog, ts, File
Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8

URLtoDownload = "http://www.microsoft.com"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")

Results = Page.PageDownload(URLtoDownload)

Set Page = Nothing

WriteToFile(Results) ' Write raw web page to a text file

'------------ WriteToFile ------------------

Function WriteToFile(Msg)

Set fsolog = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set ts = fsolog.OpenTextFile("results.log", ForWriting, True)
ts.write Msg
ts.Close
Set ts = Nothing
Set fsolog = Nothing

End Function

PageProbeFindText

Check if a web page contains certain text (often used by system administrators to check if the web page is working ok)
Sends an alert email if web page fails.

Assume this script is simply run every 5 minutes from a scheduled task.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoProbe, KeyPhrase, From, Recipient, Subject, smtpserver, Result, Res

URLtoProbe = "http://www.google.com"
KeyPhrase = "</html>"
smtpserver = "smtp.myisp.com"
From = "[email protected]"
Recipient = "[email protected]"
Subject = "Web Page has Failed"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")

Result = Page.PageProbeFindText(URLtoProbe, KeyPhrase)

If Result = False Then
Res = Page.SendEmail(From, Recipient, Subject, URLtoProbe & " " & Now, smtpserver)
End If

Set Page = Nothing

PageProbeTime

Test a Web page and return the time taken in seconds to retrieve the page.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoProbe, Result

URLtoProbe = "http://www.microsoft.com"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")
Result = Page.PageProbeTime(URLtoProbe)
Set Page = Nothing

MsgBox(Result)

PageProbe

Test a Web page and return information.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoProbe, KeyPhrase, Result, Res

URLtoProbe = "http://www.google.com"
KeyPhrase = "</html>"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")

Result = Page.PageProbe(URLtoProbe, KeyPhrase)

Set Page = Nothing

MsgBox(Result)

SendEmail

Option Explicit

Dim Page, From, Recipient, Subject, Msg, smtpserver, Res

smtpserver = "smtp.myisp.com"
From = "[email protected]"
Recipient = "[email protected]"
Subject = "This is the subject"
Msg = "This is a message"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")
Res = Page.SendEmail(From, Recipient, Subject, Msg, smtpserver)
Set Page = Nothing

More Samples:

Discover your WAN IP and send it by email.

Run this program from a scheduled task. Once every hour should do.

Note that the site www.whatismyip.com may alter at any time.
There are also many other IP returning sites on the internet.
Choose one that suits you.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoDownload, Results, Found
Dim StrIP, IP, Cnt, Char
Dim From, Recipient, Subject, smtpserver, Result, Res

smtpserver = "smtp.myisp.com"
From = "[email protected]"
Recipient = "[email protected]"
Subject = "Here is your IP Address"

URLtoDownload = "http://www.whatismyip.com"

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")
Results = Page.PageDownload(URLtoDownload)
Found = instr(1, Results, "Your IP Is")

If Found > 0 Then
    StrIP = Mid(Results, Found + 11, 16)
    Cnt = 1
    IP = ""

    While Char <> "<"
      Char = Mid(StrIP, Cnt, 1)
        If Char <> "<" Then
          IP = IP + Char
        End If
      Cnt = Cnt + 1
    Wend
End If

Res = Page.SendEmail(From, Recipient, Subject, IP, smtpserver)

Set Page = Nothing

Keep your Internet connection really always on.

Run this program from a scheduled task every 3 minutes or so.

Option Explicit

Dim Page, URLtoProbe, Results, fsolog, ts, File
Const ForReading = 1, ForWriting = 2, ForAppending = 8

URLtoProbe = "http://www.freesite.com" ' Enter a free site or simple Web page destination here

On Error Resume Next

Set Page = CreateObject("JustPageProbe.PageProbe")
Results = Page.PageProbe(URLtoProbe, "</html>")
Set Page = Nothing

DoLog(Results)

'------------ DoLog ------------------

Function DoLog(Msg)

Set fsolog = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

Set ts = fsolog.OpenTextFile("results.log", ForAppending, True)
ts.write Msg
ts.Close
Set ts = Nothing

Set File = fsolog.GetFile("results.log")

if File.Size > 1000000 Then 'Delete log file when it gets too big and start over.
fsolog.DeleteFile("results.log")
End If

Set File = Nothing

Set fsolog = Nothing

End Function

Further samples for scripting or including this component in a C/C++, VB, VB.NET, C# client application may be provided in the future.

If you use the component in IIS with ASP or ASP.NET be sure to place it in a COM+ application to ensure it will have the ability to perform its functions without security (access denied) issues. Check out our documentation for the "JustFTP" component which provides a COM+ walkthrough that you can use with JustPageProbe in ASP/ASP.NET.
http://www.easterndigitalsoftware.com/justftp/walkthrough.htm

Suggestions and Enhancements welcome. Please send them to [email protected]

Enjoy!

Download and use JustPageProbe for FREE