check_site_with_HEAD_request.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
#
"""
check the existance of a web page without downloading
the html content. send a get HEAD request with a browser
client.
"""

import argparse
import httplib
import urlparse
import re
import urllib

DEFAULT_URL = 'http://www.gentoo.org'
HTTP_GOOD_CODES = [httplib.OK, httplib.FOUND, httplib.MOVED_PERMANENTLY]

def get_server_status_code(url):
    host, path = urlparse.urlparse(url)[1:3]
    try:
        conn = httplib.HTTPConnection(host)
        conn.request('HEAD', path)
        return conn.getresponse().status
    except StandardError:
        return None

if __name__ == '__main__':
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Example HEAD Request')
    parser.add_argument('--url', action="store", dest="url", default = DEFAULT_URL)
    given_args = parser.parse_args()
    url = given_args.url
    if get_server_status_code(url) in HTTP_GOOD_CODES:
        print "Server: %s status is OK: " % url
    else:
        print "Server: %s status is NOT OK!" % url