Background process to monitor network interfaces

I am working on a project in which the various network interfaces on a computer are being monitored. I want this program to start running as a background process as soon as the computer starts. Any help regarding this (how to create a background process that starts up when the computer is started) will be greatly appreciated.

Hello,
Java 6 provides networkinterface

Here is an example:

package javaranch.example.netinterface;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.Inet4Address;
import java.net.Inet6Address;
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.NetworkInterface;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Enumeration;
import java.util.List;

public class InterfaceInfo implements NetIfInfo{
	public String displayName;
    public String name;
    public int mtu;
    public boolean isUp;
    public boolean isLoopback;
    public boolean isPointToPoint; // e.g. a PPP modem interface
    public boolean isVirtual;      // a sub-interface
    public boolean supportsMulticast;
    public byte[] macAddress;
    public List<IpAddressInfo> ipAddresses;
    public List<InterfaceInfo> subInterfaces;

public String toString()
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(NL);
        sb.append("*** Interface [" + name + "] ***").append(NL);

sb.append(NL).append("display name  : " + displayName);
        sb.append(NL).append("MTU           : " + mtu);
        sb.append(NL).append("loopback      : " + isLoopback);
        sb.append(NL).append("point to point: " + isPointToPoint);
        sb.append(NL).append("up            : " + isUp);
        sb.append(NL).append("virtual       : " + isVirtual);
        sb.append(NL).append("multicast     : " + supportsMulticast);

sb.append(NetIfInfo.NL).append("HW address    : ");
        if (macAddress != null)
        {
            for (byte b : macAddress)
            {
                sb.append(String.format("%1$02X ", b));
           }
        }
        else
        {
            sb.append("n/a");
        }

for (IpAddressInfo ipAddr: ipAddresses)
        {
            sb.append(ipAddr);
        }

for (InterfaceInfo subInfo: subInterfaces)
       {
            sb.append(subInfo);
        }

return sb.toString();
    }
    
    public static InterfaceInfo getInterfaceInfo(NetworkInterface nif) throws IOException
    {
        // get interface information
        InterfaceInfo info = new InterfaceInfo();
        info.displayName = nif.getDisplayName();
       info.name = nif.getName();
        info.mtu = nif.getMTU();
        info.isUp = nif.isUp();
        info.isLoopback = nif.isLoopback();
        info.isPointToPoint = nif.isPointToPoint();
        info.isVirtual = nif.isVirtual();
        info.supportsMulticast = nif.supportsMulticast();
        info.macAddress = nif.getHardwareAddress();
        info.ipAddresses = new ArrayList<IpAddressInfo>();
        info.subInterfaces = new ArrayList<InterfaceInfo>();
 
        // get IP address information
        Enumeration<InetAddress> inetAddresses = nif.getInetAddresses();
        while (inetAddresses.hasMoreElements())
        {
            InetAddress inetAddr = inetAddresses.nextElement();
 
            IpAddressInfo ipInfo = new IpAddressInfo();
            if (inetAddr instanceof Inet4Address)
            {
                ipInfo.ipVersion = IPV4;
            }
            else if (inetAddr instanceof Inet6Address)
            {
                ipInfo.ipVersion = IPV6;
            }
            ipInfo.ipAddress = inetAddr.getHostAddress();
            ipInfo.hostName = inetAddr.getHostName();
            ipInfo.canonicalHostName = inetAddr.getCanonicalHostName();
            ipInfo.isAnyLocal = inetAddr.isAnyLocalAddress();
            ipInfo.isLinkLocal = inetAddr.isLinkLocalAddress();
            ipInfo.isSiteLocal = inetAddr.isSiteLocalAddress();
            ipInfo.isLoopback = inetAddr.isLoopbackAddress();
            ipInfo.isMulticast = inetAddr.isMulticastAddress();
            ipInfo.isReachable = inetAddr.isReachable(50);
 
            info.ipAddresses.add(ipInfo);
        }
 
        // get virtual interface information
        Enumeration<NetworkInterface> subIfs = nif.getSubInterfaces();
        while (subIfs.hasMoreElements())
        {
            NetworkInterface subIf = subIfs.nextElement();
            InterfaceInfo subInfo = getInterfaceInfo(subIf);
            info.subInterfaces.add(subInfo);
        }
 
        return info;
    }
}

package javaranch.example.netinterface;

public class IpAddressInfo implements NetIfInfo{
	public String ipAddress;
    public String ipVersion = "unknown";
    public String hostName;
    public String canonicalHostName;
    public boolean isLoopback;
    public boolean isSiteLocal; // private IP address
    public boolean isAnyLocal;  // wildcard address
    public boolean isLinkLocal;
    public boolean isMulticast;
    public boolean isReachable;

public String toString()
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        sb.append(NL).append("INET address ("+ ipVersion + "): " + ipAddress);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("host name           : " + hostName);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("canonical host name : " + canonicalHostName);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("loopback            : " + isLoopback);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("site local          : " + isSiteLocal);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("any local           : " + isAnyLocal);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("link local          : " + isLinkLocal);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("multicast           : " + isMulticast);
        sb.append(NL_TAB).append("reachable           : " + isReachable);

return sb.toString();
    }
}

Have a fun !!!
Oleg.

Sayantan Auddy wrote:Any help regarding this (how to create a background process that starts up when the computer is started) will be greatly appreciated.

What operating system are you using? If windows, search for "java service". If *nix, search for "java daemon".