[users@httpd] How to see/use the response when the apache server is down.

[Chintan Kachhi]

I have installed apache http server version 2.2 on my local machine. I am
trying to write an apache rewrite module for the case when the apache server
is down. When the server is down, I need to redirect to a custom error page.
Does anyone know how can I apply this condition. So for starters, how can I
know if the server is down? Is there a status code that is returned when the
server is down while I am trying to hit it, and if so, how do I see that
http status code that is returned?