function ping_nodes
{
#######################################################
#
# Ping the other systems check
#
# This can be disabled if you do not want every node to be pinging all of the
# other nodes.  It is not necessary for all nodes to ping all other nodes.
# Although, you do want more than one node doing the pinging just in case
# the pinging node is down.  To activate pinging the "$PINGNODES" variable
# must be set to "TRUE".  Any other value will disable pinging from this node.
#

# set -x  # Uncomment to debug this function
# set -n # Uncomment to check command syntax without any execution

if [ $PINGNODES = "TRUE" ]
then
     echo     # Add a single line to the output

     # Loop through each node in the $PINGLIST

     for HOSTPINGING in $PINGLIST  # Spaces between nodes in the
                                   # list is assumed
     do
          # Inform the user what is going On

          echo "Pinging --> ${HOSTPINGING}...\c"

          # If the pings received back is equal to "0" then you have a
          # problem.

          # Ping $PING_COUNT times, extract the value for the pings
          # received back.

          PINGSTAT=$(ping_host $HOSTPINGING | grep transmitted \
                     | awk '{print $4}')

          # If the value of $PINGSTAT is NULL, then the node is
          # unknown to this host

          if [[ -z "$PINGSTAT" && "$PINGSTAT" = '' ]]
          then
              echo "Unknown host"
              continue
          fi
          if (( $PINGSTAT == 0 ))
          then    # Let's do it again to make sure it really is reachable

               echo "Unreachable...Trying one more time...\c"
               sleep $INTERVAL
               PINGSTAT2=$(ping_host $HOSTPINGING | grep transmitted \
                         | awk '{print $4}')

               if [ $PINGSTAT2 -eq "0" ]
               then # It REALLY IS unreachable...Notify!!
                    echo "Unreachable"
                    echo "Unable to ping $HOSTPINGING from $THISHOST" \
                          | tee -a $PING_OUTFILE
               else
                    echo "OK"
               fi
          else
               echo "OK"
          fi

     done
fi
}