title: Python (2.7) script monitoring and notification system
body: <p>I've read a lot of other posts about monitoring python scripts, but haven't been able to find anything like what I am hoping to do. Essentially, I have 2 desktops running Linux. Each computer has multiple python scripts running non-stop 24/7. Most of them are web scraping, while a few others are scrubbing and processing data. I have built pretty extensive exception handling into them that sends me an email in the event of any error or crash, but there are some situations that I haven't been able to get emailed about (such as if the script itself just freezes or the computer itself crashes, or the computer looses internet connection, etc.)</p>
  
  <p>So, I'm trying to build a sort of check-in service where a python script checks in to the service multiple times throughout it's run, and if it doesn't check-in within X amount of time, then send me an email. I don't know if this is something that can be done with the signal or asyncore module(s) and/or sockets, or what a good place would be to even start. </p>
  
  <p>Has anyone had any experience in writing anything like this? Or can point me in the right direction?</p>