# Device heartbeats The device performs a generic heartbeat that is communicated to the server for any updates and exchanges of information. The server qualifies the heartbeat to be one of the three types based on specific conditions and sends an appropriate management plan. A management plan is a task list of user-configurable actions for the device to perform. This task list can include a request for diagnostic data, logs, or event details to be uploaded to the server, files to be downloaded from the server, or actions (reboot, delete files, and the like) to be performed on the device. **Heartbeat Types** * **Registration**: if the first contact is from the device to the Device Management server, then it is the registration heartbeat. * **Alive**: if a heartbeat occurs outside the device maintenance window then it is considered as “I’m alive” heartbeat and connected to the server. * **Maintenance**: if a heartbeat is within the device maintenance window then it is a maintenance heartbeat. The server responds by evaluating if the software or content updates are available and sends a management plan to the device accordingly. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.verifone.com/verifone-central-device-management/verifone-central/devices/registering-the-device/device-heartbeats.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.