{
  "schema_version": "lvl-knowledge-lesson-v1",
  "id": "path-ma-02-health-and-stuck-agents",
  "category": "path",
  "path_ids": [
    "deploy-multi-agent-workflow"
  ],
  "title": "Health signals: alive vs making progress",
  "summary": "Heartbeat is not progress. Detect stuck agents before budgets burn.",
  "body": "## Two signals\n\n- **Heartbeat** — process is running  \n- **Progress** — step N advanced  \n\nA hung tool call can heartbeat while progress freezes.\n\n## Patterns\n\n- Missed heartbeats → restart budget  \n- Heartbeat OK, progress stalled → different budget (slow vs dead)  \n- Escalate after N stalls  \n\n## Production habit\n\nLog stage id + progress token in every long job. Dashboards should show both.\n\n## Takeaway\n\nWithout health contracts, multi-agent fleets silently spend.",
  "concepts": [
    "agent-health",
    "heartbeat",
    "progress"
  ],
  "related_skills_optional": [
    {
      "skill_id": "agent-health-check-protocol",
      "name": "Agent Health Check Protocol",
      "price_usd": 2.99,
      "price_label": "$2.99 / unlock",
      "summary": "Heartbeat and liveness checks so orchestrators detect silent sub-agent death.",
      "outline": "https://lvlltd.com/skills/agent-health-check-protocol/outline.json",
      "challenge": "https://lvlltd.com/api/pay?skill=agent-health-check-protocol",
      "listing": "https://lvlltd.com/listings/agent-health-check-protocol/",
      "available": true,
      "optional": true,
      "label": "optional_implementation"
    }
  ],
  "sort_order": 20,
  "estimated_minutes": 8,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
  "freshness": {
    "last_updated_at": "2026-07-22T12:00:00.000Z",
    "days_since_update": 0,
    "band": "fresh",
    "score_0_100": 95,
    "label": "Fresh",
    "display": "Fresh · updated 2026-07-22 (0d ago)"
  },
  "integrity": {
    "knowledge_free": true,
    "skills_optional": true,
    "note": "This lesson is complete without purchasing any skill."
  },
  "related_bundles_optional": [],
  "url": "https://lvlltd.com/learn/lessons/path-ma-02-health-and-stuck-agents/",
  "updated_at": "2026-07-22T21:10:40.587Z"
}