A health-check is a monitoring probe that tests whether a system, service, or component is operating within acceptable parameters by sending a minimal request and evaluating the response. Its parameters include the probe type (TCP connect, HTTP request, script execution), the success criteria (status code, response payload, exit code), and the evaluation interval (periodic or event-triggered). It persists through monitoring agents, scripted probes embedded in orchestration frameworks, and codified operational procedures. [formal: probatio-sanitatis | substrate: behavior | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
health-check
A health-check is a monitoring probe that tests whether a system, service, or component is operating within acceptable parameters by sending a minimal request and evaluating the response. Its parameters include the probe type (TCP connect,…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made monitoring practice that probes a system or component with a simple query or request to verify it is operating correctly. Implemented as software probes and codified in operational runbooks, persisted through monitoring tooling and standard operating procedures.
Names and aliases
- health-checken · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cms7wyk72004ph6s8d82lhwqlSERVES →
Health-check is designed for the sake of reliability: its purpose is to detect failures early, ensuring systems stay reliable. The servant (health-check) points at the master (reliability).
- cmrvetnwc00ym2ceidsdzn4z2INSTANCE_OF →
A health check is a specific kind of diagnostic: a systematic assessment procedure to determine the current state or condition of a system, component, or process. A competent speaker would call a health check a type of diagnostic activity.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Aug 7, 2026, 3:57 PM UTC
- Content hash
- e1163a3a58666b8f17ede1c6d7823944e49bf65eb34f92c3bdd07f431b38796c