Diagnostic heartbeating in a distributed data processing environment

A computer program product for diagnostic heartbeating in a distributed data processing environment, the computer program product comprising:

• one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive from a second component a set of diagnostic parameters to include in a diagnostic heartbeat packet, wherein the diagnostic heartbeat packet is a packet comprising a header, a set of heartbeat parameters, and the set of diagnostic parameters;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to receive information identifying a data communication protocol to be used for transmitting the diagnostic heartbeat packet;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to set a first diagnostic parameter in the set of diagnostic parameters to a first value, the first value being selected to detect a first soft network error condition, wherein a soft network error condition is a network error condition that adversely affects transmission of packets having certain properties in the data communication network;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to configure the diagnostic heartbeat packet for transmission using the identified data communication protocol and including the set of diagnostic parameters;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to send the diagnostic heartbeat packet.

A computer system for diagnostic heartbeating in a distributed data processing environment, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive from a second component a set of diagnostic parameters to include in a diagnostic heartbeat packet, wherein the diagnostic heartbeat packet is a packet comprising a header, a set of heartbeat parameters, and the set of diagnostic parameters;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to receive information identifying a data communication protocol to be used for transmitting the diagnostic heartbeat packet;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to set a first diagnostic parameter in the set of diagnostic parameters to a first value, the first value being selected to detect a first soft network error condition, wherein a soft network error condition is a network error condition that adversely affects transmission of packets having certain properties in the data communication network;
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to configure the diagnostic heartbeat packet for transmission using the identified data communication protocol and including the set of diagnostic parameters;
• and
• program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to send the diagnostic heartbeat packet.