The parameter DataSetMetaData provides the information necessary to decode DataSetMessages from the Publisher. If the DataSetMetaData changes in the Publisher and the MajorVersion was changed, the DataSetReader needs an update of the DataSetMetaData for further operation. If the update cannot be retrieved in the duration of the MessageReceiveTimeout, the State of the DataSetReader shall change to Error. The related PublishedDataSet is defined in 0. The DataSetMetaDataType is defined in 6.2.3.2.3. The options for retrieving the update of the DataSetMetaData are described in 5.2.3.

If the DataSetMetaData contains an empty fields array, the DataSetReader is configured to receive heartbeat DataSetMessages. For heartbeat DataSetMessages the majorVersion and minorVersion in the configurationVersion shall always be 0 in the configuration and in the DataSetMessages.