In computer networking, a half-open connection refers to a state in which one of the two endpoints has sent a connection request to the other endpoint, but has not yet received a response. This can occur due to various reasons, such as network latency, firewall blocking, or the remote endpoint being unavailable.
Monitoring and managing half-open connections is crucial for maintaining network performance and security. A large number of half-open connections can lead to resource exhaustion on the server, while also potentially indicating network issues or malicious activity. There are several approaches to check and manage half-open connections, including using system tools like ‘netstat’ or ‘lsof’, or employing specialized network monitoring tools.