The Ares processes use the Link Checker, a tool that will automatically check the validity of URLs submitted as reserve Items. The Link Checker is a maintenance function controlled by the Ares System Manager. It runs once daily at a time specified in the Ares Customization Manager. You can view and work with the Link Checker in the Ares client.
Enabling the Link Checker
In order to use the Link Checker, it must be enabled in the Ares Customization Manager.
- Navigate to the LinkCheckerEnabled key in the Ares Customization Manager under System | Link Checker.
- Click Yes to enable the Link Checker.
- Click Save.
Link Checker Options
The following customization keys can be set to further customize the Link Checker process. All of these keys can be found in the Ares Customization Manager under System | Link Checker.
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LinkCheckerHTTPCodeSuccess |
Comma-separated list of HTTP Codes that represent a successful link check. |
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LinkCheckerIgnoreDomains |
Comma-separated list of domains that Ares should ignore when the link checker processes. |
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LinkCheckerNewLinksOnly |
Setting this to Yes will cause LinkChecker to check only new, modified, or failed item links when it runs. |
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LinkCheckerRunNow |
Setting this key to Yes will force the Ares System Manager to run an off-schedule link check within one minute, after which this key will be reset to No. |
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LinkCheckRunTime |
The time of day the Ares System Manager will perform the daily link check. |
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LinkCheckerTimeout |
Timeout in seconds to wait for a response from a site when link checking. |
Configuring Link Checker to Bypass Successful Links
By default, the Link Checker does not re-confirm successful links each time it runs. The LinkCheckNewLinksOnly key (which is set to Yes by default) excluded from future checks any link with an "OK" status in the LinkCheck table. Removing the Item or modifying the Location field in the Item form causes the entry in the LinkCheck table to be deleted, and the Link Checker will verify all modified links the next time it runs. If you would like the Link Checker to run a check on all links, set the LinkCheckNewLinksOnly key to No.
Changing How Page Content is Retrieved by Link Checker
You can specify how page content is retrieved using an application setting in the Ares System Manager called LinkCheckUsesHttpHead. By default, the Link Checker processes uses the HTTP HEAD command, which causes the Ares web server to respond with the page headers but not the page content. If this causes problems, changing the setting to False will cause the Link Checker to use the GET command instead. This will retrieve all the page's content as is the typical HTTP command you use when browsing.