🩺 A medical exam 💻 A system test

health check

3.1

A routine test that shows if a computer system or service works well

noun
/hɛlθ tʃɛk/

Specialized

: verificación de salud

Before upgrading the software, the technician performed a health check to ensure the system was functioning correctly.

Examples

The IT department schedules a regular health check to monitor the network's performance and security.
Microsoft's PC Health Check app proclaimed that many modern PCs were incompatible due to a lack of TPM.
To maintain optimal performance, a monthly health check of the computer systems is recommended.

Synonyms

check

vshealth check

720 1.0

An act of looking at something to make sure it is correct

is a routine technical test of system operation, performance, and responsiveness

How Thorough

stress test

Specialized

8 4.4

health check

Specialized

3.1

to diag

Jargon

9.0

ping

Specialized

9 3.4

Surface Forms

health check singular

health checks plural

Morphology

health + check

The meaning is directly compositional: 'health' (the condition or functioning of something) + 'check' (an inspection) yields 'an inspection of a system's condition', so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE. This metaphorical use of 'health' for systems is common across languages and in technical contexts, making the phrase immediately understandable to B1 learners.

Etymology

Health check in technology comes from the same image: engineers run quick checks of a system's health, watching servers, services, and networks to see if they are working well. So it means 'a routine test of a system'.