HTTP request types

The HTTP monitor emulates a web browser that supports the HTTP/1.0 protocol. To test the web server, the monitor sends it a request for a web page using any of the following HTTP request types:

• HEAD

  The HEAD command attempts to access a web page and return the HTTP header. Issuing the HEAD command is a fast way to check that a web page is accessible.

• GET

  The GET command attempts to access the web page and return the whole page, including the HTTP header. It does not attempt to return files associated with the page, such as images.

• GETALL

  The GETALL command attempts to access the web page and return the whole page including the HTTP header, background, images, applets, frames, cascading style sheet (CSS) files, and scripts. Like the HEAD and GET commands, this command also checks that a web page is accessible, but because the GETALL command returns the whole page and all its associated files, it may give a more realistic indication of the time taken to access the page. The monitor also uses multiple threads during a GETALL command to more accurately match the behavior of web browsers.

• POST

  The POST command attempts to access a web page that contains an HTTP form and complete the fields of that form. Add body text for the POST request to the Body tab in the Internet Service Monitoring Configuration, or use the @Body group in the Internet Service Monitoring Configuration command-line interface or ismbatch. Alternatively, you can use the FORM parameters. You cannot use both Body text and FORM parameters in the POST request.