# Using VMware's heartbeat API



## NetsocketEmployee (Jul 11, 2013)

Has anyone already gone through the hurdles to be able to use VMware's heartbeat capability so that vSphere can restart a frozen FreeBSD guest?

If yes, would you be willing to share?


----------



## nORKy (Jul 16, 2013)

I think the heartbeat is done by VMTools.  You just need to install VMTools for FreeBSD and activate 'VM monitoring' in your VMware HA configuration.


----------



## NetsocketEmployee (Jul 17, 2013)

I've searched the source code, for VMware tools, and it does not even refer to Heartbeat.  I have been to VMware's site and they offer a "Guest SDK" that specifically offers and enable, disable and mark active functions.  The problem with this is that the SDK is only available for Linux and Solaris and doesn't offer source code to the library that exports the functions.

To get the functionality, one needs to port the vsock and vmci drivers.  In addition, one needs to know the format of the messages.  I can do this, but was looking to see if someone else had already spent the time and was willing to share/trade for it.


----------

