---
name: containers-ts-keepalive-sysctl
title: Why does my pod with long running TCP connections get disconnected?
description: '[Virtual Private Cloud] [Classic infrastructure]'
last-updated: 2026-05-04
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Why does my pod with long running TCP connections get disconnected?
{: #ts-keepalive-sysctl}
{: support}

[Virtual Private Cloud]{: tag-vpc} [Classic infrastructure]{: tag-classic-inf}

When a pod has long-running TCP connections and the pod is idle for a period of time, it occasionally gets disconnected.
{: tsSymptoms}

The idle time might have exceeded the limit that is defined by the `sysctl` keepalive settings for the pod.
{: tsCauses}

Try updating the `sysctl` keepalive settings for the pod. For more information, see [Optimizing network keepalive `sysctl` settings](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/containers?topic=containers-kernel&format=markdown#keepalive-iks).
{: tsResolve}