Heartbeats and Ping/Pong Keep-Alives
Detect dead WebSocket connections early using ping/pong frames and STOMP heartbeats so the server reclaims resources and clients reconnect promptly.
The Silent Death Problem
A WebSocket can look open long after the peer has vanished. A laptop lid closes, a network drops, a NAT mapping expires — yet neither side gets a close frame. This is a half-open connection.
Why It Matters
Half-open sockets waste server memory, keep sessions in maps forever, and let the client believe it is still receiving updates. You need an active probe to discover the truth: a heartbeat.
All lessons in this course
- Handling WebSocket Errors Gracefully
- Connection Lifecycle Management
- Retries and Fallbacks
- Heartbeats and Ping/Pong Keep-Alives