This script for nodejs tests if couchdb server is running.

liveoncouch.js

/**
* Test if couchdb is live.
* possible@usage:~$ nodejs liveoncouch.js --hostname 192.168.0.32 --port 5982
* @author Vaclav Bohac (c) 2011
*/

(function (util, http) {

	var getArguments = function () {
		var ret = {
			hostname: "127.0.0.1", 
			port: 5984
		},
		usage = "Usage:\n\t-h, --hostname server-name\n\t-p, --port port-number";

		process.argv.forEach(function (value, index, argv) {
			var hostname, port;

			if ( value === "--hostname" || value === "-h" ) {
				hostname = argv[index + 1];
				if ( hostname === undefined ) {
					util.puts(usage);
					process.exit(1);
				}
				ret.hostname = hostname;
			}

			if ( value === "--port" || value === "-p" ) {
				port = argv[index + 1];
				if ( port === undefined ) {
					util.puts(usage);
					process.exit(1);
				}
				ret.port = port;
			}
		});

		return ret;
	};

	var testCouch = function (port, hostname) {
		var client = http.createClient(port, hostname);

		client.on("error", function (err) {
			util.puts("Server is not running.");
			process.exit();
		});
		
		var request = client.request("GET", "/");
		request.on("response", function (response) {
			var responseBody = "";

			response.on("data", function (chunk) {
				responseBody += chunk;
			});

			response.on("end", function () {
				var result = JSON.parse(responseBody);
				if ( result.couchdb !== undefined ) {
					util.puts("Server is running.");
					return;
				}
				util.puts("Server is not running.");
			});
		});

		request.end();
	};

	var s = getArguments();
	testCouch(s.port, s.hostname);

}(require("util"), require("http")));