Every 1 second, this module generates a single multicast UDP packet, containing the number of busy and idle workers. The packet is a simple ASCII format, simili

Every 1 second, this module generates a single multicast UDP packet, containing the number of busy and idle workers. The packet is a simple ASCII format, similiar to GET query parameters in HTTP. An Example Packet v=1&ready=75&busy=0 Consumers should handle new variables besides busy and ready, separated by '&', being added in the future. I think that last line is why they avoid a binary format. Everyone who's consuming this packet already has a function available which can parse url query parameters with arbitrary name/value pairs, and that's the format being used here. I'm also not sure that the user needs to turn this into a binary format before using it; a string comparison against "75" and "0" is just as capable and nearly as fast as a numeric comparison, especially if you're using a scripting language for your heartbeat monitor rather than C.