@Override
  public Boolean isVmAlive(VirtualMachine vm, Host host) {
    if (!vm.getType().isUsedBySystem()) {
      s_logger.debug("Not a System Vm, unable to determine state of " + vm + " returning null");
    }

    if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
      s_logger.debug("Testing if " + vm + " is alive");
    }

    if (vm.getHostId() == null) {
      s_logger.debug("There's no host id for " + vm);
      return null;
    }

    HostVO vmHost = _hostDao.findById(vm.getHostId());
    if (vmHost == null) {
      s_logger.debug("Unable to retrieve the host by using id " + vm.getHostId());
      return null;
    }

    List<? extends Nic> nics = _networkMgr.getNicsForTraffic(vm.getId(), TrafficType.Management);
    if (nics.size() == 0) {
      if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
        s_logger.debug(
            "Unable to find a management nic, cannot ping this system VM, unable to determine state of "
                + vm
                + " returning null");
      }
      return null;
    }

    for (Nic nic : nics) {
      if (nic.getIp4Address() == null) {
        continue;
      }
      // get the data center IP address, find a host on the pod, use that host to ping the data
      // center IP address
      List<Long> otherHosts = findHostByPod(vmHost.getPodId(), vm.getHostId());
      for (Long otherHost : otherHosts) {
        Status vmState = testIpAddress(otherHost, nic.getIp4Address());
        if (vmState == null) {
          // can't get information from that host, try the next one
          continue;
        }
        if (vmState == Status.Up) {
          if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
            s_logger.debug(
                "successfully pinged vm's private IP ("
                    + vm.getPrivateIpAddress()
                    + "), returning that the VM is up");
          }
          return Boolean.TRUE;
        } else if (vmState == Status.Down) {
          // We can't ping the VM directly...if we can ping the host, then report the VM down.
          // If we can't ping the host, then we don't have enough information.
          Status vmHostState = testIpAddress(otherHost, vmHost.getPrivateIpAddress());
          if ((vmHostState != null) && (vmHostState == Status.Up)) {
            if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
              s_logger.debug(
                  "successfully pinged vm's host IP ("
                      + vmHost.getPrivateIpAddress()
                      + "), but could not ping VM, returning that the VM is down");
            }
            return Boolean.FALSE;
          }
        }
      }
    }

    if (s_logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
      s_logger.debug("unable to determine state of " + vm + " returning null");
    }
    return null;
  }