# OpAMP Collectors connected to Bindplane communicate using the [OpAMP Protocol](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/specs/opamp/) over a WebSocket connection. Bindplane acts as the OpAMP server and the collector is the OpAMP client. Both sides manage and monitor the WebSocket connection. ### OpAMP Configuration Overview * **Heartbeats** - Client heartbeats require Bindplane `v1.75.0+` and BDOT `v1.70.0+`, while server heartbeats are used for older versions or unsupported collectors. Server heartbeats send empty messages to maintain WebSocket connections, with a 70-second interval for removing inactive collectors. * **Connection Retries** - The OpAMP client employs an exponential backoff strategy for connection retries after failed attempts. * **Connection States** - The collector process in Bindplane can be in various states such as Connected, Disconnected, Error, Configuring, Pending, Incompatible, and Upgrading. --- # 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.bindplane.com/configuration/bindplane-otel-collector/opamp.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.