We have a client running a WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP)  stack on a Windows 2003 server. IIS and Apache are running off of two seperate IP addresses on this dedicated server and every so often Apache crashes. I constantly check the Apache error file typically located: [C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\logs\error.log] but have found no good reason why Apache is crashing except the following error messages:

Child 5184: Child process is exiting
Parent: Received shutdown signal — Shutting down the server.
Child 6924: Exit event signaled. Child process is ending.
Child 6924: Released the start mutex
Parent: Forcing termination of child process 432

Which is just telling me that Apache is crashing but not why. I am trying to pinpoint what the problem is but not sure how long I will have to Goolge search before I come up with the answer. In the mean time I have to manually restart Apache ever time it crashes. A website monitoring system would at least tell me when Apache crashes by emailing me or sending a txt to my cell phone but I would still have to manually log into the server and start Apache.

Wait a minute! I’m running IIS so why can’t I make my own monitoring script to check if a PHP website is up and running and if it’s not automaticlly start Apache and send an email/text message alert to whomever…

I made a simple PHP file called “check-apache.php” with the text “Apache is running!” in it and uploaded it to a PHP website ran on Apache. Then I created the following vbscript file:

on error resume next
Set xml = CreateObject(”Microsoft.XMLHTTP”)
xml.Open “POST”, “http://yourwebsite.com/check-apache.php”, False
xml.Send “”
TS=xml.responseText
set xml = nothing
If TS<>”Apache is running!”then
Dim oShell
Set oShell = WScript.CreateObject (”WScript.shell”)
oShell.CurrentDirectory =”C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\bin”
oShell.run “httpd -k start”
Set oShell = Nothing
Set objEMail = CreateObject(”CDO.Message”)
objEMail.To = “alert email addresses”
objEMail.From = “from emal address”
objEMail.Subject = “Apache Server Crashed”
objEMail.HTMLBody = now&”<br>”&Err.Number
objEMail.Send
Set objEMail = Nothing
End if

This vbscript uses a XMLHTTP request to check if the text “Apache is running!” exists in the returned value from /check-apache.php, if not then the command prompt is opened to start Apache with the “httpd -k start” command and emails are sent. This .vbs file is set up on a scheduled task to run every x minutes.  So the end result is if/when Apache crashes it will be back up within x minutes and I will be notified.

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Pringle Quinn Anzano, P.C. (PQA) is a New Jersey based Law Firm. The PQA website is powered by WordPress 2.7, an Open Source content management system and was themed by Helium Design with the iCompany WordPress theme. The PQA website is highly optimized for search engine ranking and is also listed in Google Local Business Center. If you would like a robust website for your law firm or business click here to contact us.

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The use of new technology in government is growing as shown by President-elect Barack Obama.  Obama and his team have embraced the public every step of the way from the very beginning of his candidacy using new kinds of resources where he will be able to reach a whole new demographic of citizens with the many online communication portals available today.  This is much different than the interaction President Bush had with the people.

CNN senior political analyst Bill Schneider observes that “In the old model, the president talks to the people on television [and] the people talk back in polls. In the new model, communication is online, and two-way.” Will Obama’s YouTube broadcast be more successful than Bush’s televised weekly address? Will the use of these social networking sites open communication with the public and create a new role for the president?

For more on President-elect Obama’s use of the internet click here to read the CNN.com article.

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This year’s presidential candidates have embraced many of the new media outlets available online.  For the first time ever, CNN and YouTube held Democratic and Republican debates back in July and November of 2007 that took advantage of people video mailing their questions via YouTube.  The candidates were also encouraged to create YouTube ads that aired during the debates.  Since then all of the potential nominees and now presidential candidates have taken advantage of YouTube’s ability to reach out to just about anyone with internet access.

An article from BBC news highlights the new ways that Senators Obama and McCain have been using these outlets to reach out to voters, highlight their platforms and get out the vote.  The article focuses on two aspects of how online media has affected this year’s campaign season, Obama’s advertising via video games and McCain’s grips with YouTube’s copyrighting clauses.

Senator Obama has moved beyond conventional sources such as television, radio and print.  The article states that his campaign has paid for advertising in 18 video games.  These ads are being run in 10 states that allow early voting to encourage potential voters to vote before November 4^th.

Senator McCain’s campaign has been taking advantage of YouTube by posting campaign related news segments on the website.  However, many of these videos have been removed due to copyright claims outlined in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  McCain’s campaign disagrees with the removal of the news segments because they are an effective media outlet for the campaign and include important information for voters.

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This year Tom Volker is running for a seat on the borough council of Belmar, New Jersey.  Tom is a 15-year resident of Belmar who currently owns the Inn at the Shore Bed and Breakfast.

Tom has worked to improve Belmar by involving himself with many of their groups and organizations. He is a trustee on the Belmar Historical Council and the Belmar Adopt-a-Spot program, as well as a member of the Belmar Chamber of Commerce, the Belmar Harbor Commission and the Belmar Beautification Committee.

• In order to get the word out, the Tom Volker for Belmar Council campaign has taken advantage of InfoLoop’s Campaign & Fundraising Solutions package.  If you are interested in using this package for your own campaign click here to request a quote.

If you would like to learn more about Tom Volker, click here to view WeLoveBelmar.com.

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A CNN article highlights the effects blogging has had on this year’s Democratic National Convention.  Bloggers have come to the convention from all over the country, representing every group one could ever imagine.  A “blogger’s lounge” has been set up where you can find a diverse group of people from a middle-aged father of three to a cattle rancher from Argentina.  Each blogger highlights their own personalized interests and how the events of the convention have played out providing a vast variety of information tailored to specific audiences.

The effect of blogging has created a whole new source of information bringing more interest to the convention than in the past.  GOP convention spokeswoman Melissa Subbotin points out, “Technology is playing an important role in this convention, more so than ever before.”  With specially reserved sections and up-to-the-minute updates, the DNC is experiencing how technology is changing the world first hand.

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C-SPAN isn’t particularly popular channel.  To be honest most of the time it’s almost unwatchable.  It is known for its 24/7 coverage of government and public affairs programming with viewers that are most likely to be middle-aged political science professors (and Cher).  However, C-SPAN is trying to change its reputation with the launch of two new websites dedicated to the upcoming Democratic Convention in Denver and Republican Convention in Minneapolis.  Michael Arrington finds the two new C-SPAN sites incorporate citizen journalism via blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Qik into portals to cover convention and related news while complimenting the existing C-SPAN Politics site.

Obama has found success and recognition with online campaigning and social networking.  It will be interesting to see if C-SPAN can do the same.

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BELMAR — PolitiCheck.com, a new and much easier method for making and receiving campaign contributions online, is now cleared for use in New Jersey.

    In an advisory opinion issued yesterday, the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission determined that online contributions by credit card or electronic check payment may be made through PolitiCheck.com in accordance with NJELEC regulations.  The Commission noted that the electronic check contribution alternative offered by PolitiCheck.com “is the technological equivalent of a paper check and may serve the salutary purpose of promoting contributor participation in the political process.”  Click here to read Advisory Opinion 02-2006 in its entirety.

    PolitiCheck.com makes it easy for citizens to contribute online even in small amounts to the candidates and organizations of their choice.  PolitiCheck.com members can save their credit card or electronic check information, as well as their employer and other information required to be gathered by candidates, to their secure PolitiCheck.com acccount, and transmit it with a click of the mouse.  PolitiCheck.com memberships are free to contributors.

    PolitiCheck.com also provides an array of online campaign fundraising tools that let candidates and political organizations take maximum advantage of the convenience the internet offers potential contributors.  For example, in addition to using high-tech features like blast email solicitations for contributions, candidates that subscribe to PolitiCheck can even improve the effectiveness of their traditional fundraising mailings by including a line that lets their supporters know that contributions can be made online via PolitiCheck.com.  Time-strapped potential contributors are more likely to respond to fundraising solicitations if they can avoid handwriting a check and filling out a lengthy contributor informatoin card, and instead give simply with a few keystrokes. 

   “PolitiCheck’s greatest promise lies in its potential for democratizing the political contribution process,” said Kenneth E. Pringle, the founder of InfoLoop, LLC, which owns PolitiCheck.com. “By making it cost-effective for candidates to solicit contributions even in small amounts, and convenient for ordinary citizens to give that way, PolitiCheck can lessen the importance of contributions from special interests,” he said. “This Advisory Opinion now clears the way for us to offer PolitiCheck.com, and perhap to begin changing the political landscape in the Garden State.”

   After beta testing during the 2006 election cycle, InfoLoop plans to begin actively marketing PolitiCheck.com to candidates and political organizations in New Jersey in time for the 2007 election season.

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