The Configuration Manager 2007 Heartbeat Discovery method is the only one of the configurable discovery methods that is automatically enabled when Configuration Manager is installed. This is because Heartbeat Discovery is designed to keep data discovery records (DDRs) updated in the Configuration Manager database.

This discovery method is very important to the continued maintenance of your site database, as it ensures that resource records are current and won't accidentally be aged out of the Configuration Manager database.

As noted, Heartbeat Discovery updates existing DDRs rather than creating new ones. By default, it generates an updated DDR for each client every seven days, although this timing is configurable.

Note
Heartbeat Discovery is active only on computers that have already been installed as Configuration Manager clients.

Heartbeat Discovery Process

Heartbeat Discovery runs on installed Configuration Manager clients according to the schedule you specify. With this method enabled, the Client Component Installation Manager (CCIM) on the client causes the Cliex32.dll to generate a DDR, which is then written to the management point. This file is the same size as a normal DDR (approximately 1 KB per client), and so it will generate approximately the same network traffic.

Potential Problems

With a functioning Configuration Manager system, only two potential problems are present with the Heartbeat Discovery method. The first is a relatively simple problem to avoid: ensure that Heartbeat Discovery is not disabled by accident. If you disable Heartbeat Discovery, data discovery records are refreshed only when another discovery method is invoked or run on a schedule. Even then, only those DDRs that are included in the second discovery method will be updated.

Note
Heartbeat Discovery is useful for maintaining up-to-date discovery data on clients that are not normally affected by one of the other discovery methods, such as a server that users seldom log on to.

The second potential issue with Heartbeat Discovery is based on the fact that its schedule is configurable. It is important to ensure that any schedule you create causes the DDRs to be updated frequently enough so that the original DDR isn't viewed by Configuration Manager as obsolete or deleted from the database.

See Also