When you buy through affiliate links in our content, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn What Does Heartbeat Cable Mean?
A heartbeat cable is a specific piece of hardware used to connect multiple servers in a process called failover. In this kind of setup, the heartbeat cable handles a "pulse", or recurring signal from the first server to the second server. If the first server encounters a problem, the second server can be programmed to assist when the heartbeat from the cable is interrupted.
Techopedia Explains Heartbeat Cable
Various kinds of connections can be programmed in different ways. In some cases, a failover event triggered by a missing pulse on a heartbeat cable connection can send a message to technicians or generate some other warning. This sort of failover connection allows for automated takeover of tasks that a given piece of hardware cannot complete. Failover setups are often part of emergency planning by businesses and organizations that want to protect productivity from natural disasters or other kinds of threats to operations at a given site.
Part of the issue with using a heartbeat cable involves accurate configuration. In many cases, a cable can be connected from "RF out" to "RF in" on two servers, but there may be complications. Installers may need to read relevant manuals to figure out, for example, how to ensure a particular display result for hardware status.
