docs: def check_status(self):
          """ tests both the ext_url and local_url to see if the database is
              running
  
              returns:
                  True if a connection can be made
                  False if the connection cannot me made
          """
  
          def validate_namespace(self):
              if not self.has_namespace(self.namespace):
                  log.warning(format_multiline(["",
                                                """\tnamespace '{}' does not
                                                exist. Creating namespace"""],
                                                self.namespace))
                  self.create_namespace(self.namespace)
  
          if self.url:
              return True
          try:
              result = requests.get(self._make_url(self.namespace,
                                                   self.ext_url,
                                                   check_status_call=True))
              self.url = self.ext_url
              validate_namespace(self)
              return True
          except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
              pass
          try:
              result = requests.get(self._make_url(self.namespace,
                                                   self.local_url,
                                                   check_status_call=True))
              log.warning("Url '%s' not connecting. Using local_url '%s'" % \
                       (self.ext_url, self.local_url))
              self.url = self.local_url
              validate_namespace(self)
              return True
          except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError:
              self.url = None
              log.warning("Unable to connect using urls: %s" % set([self.ext_url,
                                                                 self.local_url]))
              return False