check_ping vs check_icmp

[cloberjewels]

Hi, can someone explain the benefits/differences between check_ping and check_icmp please? Is there a time/place to use one over the other? Thanks - Chris

[lmiltchev]

If you are running a server that is not allowed to respond to ping you may use http in your "check-host-alive" command instead of ping. Please, read more on the topic here:

http://assets.nagios.com/downloads/nagi ... _In_XI.pdf

[cloberjewels]

Thanks. I see the check-host-alive uses the check_icmp plugin. There is also a check_ping plugin. What is the difference between those two plugins though?

[lmiltchev]

As far as I know, the "check_ping" relies on the "/bin/ping" to perform the check, while the "check_icmp" performs the check itself. The "check_icmp" is supposed to be much more efficient than the "check_ping".