[RESOLVED] does CURL function register as a website hit?

PHP_blob

Hi,

I'm trying out some PHP, and am playing around with the CURL function to extract the source code and traverse my site for errors...etc. The PHP is working fine.

$url = "http://www.testsite.com/";
$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL,$url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FAILONERROR, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER,1);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 3);
$result = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

Just out of curiosity, I've got a question regarding the CURL function.

My php code is currently saved as a web page (check_errors.php) that is set on a loop, say every ten minutes or so. Each time it accesses the URL via the CURL function, does that count as a hit? i.e. a visit from a user? being a server side script, I'm not sure if it is...

If it is counted as a 'visit', would it register as a click from web page check_errors.php, with my IP address? This would make the website look like its getting more hits than it really is...?

Cheers. v😃

superwormy

When you make the call to CURL, CURL goes and fetches the webpage over HTTP. Everything fetched over HTTP gets recorded in the server logs. Everything that gets recorded in the server logs gets counted as a hit.

So yes, if you run this every 10 minutes, it will skew your traffic statistics.

PHP_blob

damn, looks like I'll have to find another way to check my website without skewing my traffic statistics.

Thanks superwormy!

PHP_blob

Another question regarding the CURL function:

Would http://www.testsite.com/ register my 'hit' as originating from check_errors.php or from the IP address of the server running the check_errors.php file?

Cheers.

bradgrafelman

Well a .php script itself can't really do anything at all - it's the interpreter that reads the code and tells the server what to do. Essentially, you're having your server open a port to itself on port 80, like other web traffic, and download data.

Now, whether it's using the localhost loopback, a private IP, or a public IP... that would depend on the DNS configuration on the server itself and DNS server.

Perhaps there's some setting with your traffic monitoring software that would allow you to exclude certain IP's (ex. the one the server is using) ?

PHP_blob

Thanks heaps Brad!