Keepalive

Keepalive is a network protocol feature which allows two devices or systems to maintain a connection or session even when there is no data being exchanged between them. It is commonly used in TCP/IP networks to ensure that a connection remains open and active, even if there is no data being transmitted, in order to avoid timeouts or disconnections. Keepalive sends a small data packet, referred to as a heartbeat, at regular intervals to ensure that the connection is still active. This feature is used in a variety of applications, including email, file transfers, and online gaming. Keepalive can be configured at various levels in the network stack, including the application, transport, and network layers.