Comment 3 for bug 1368917

The client waits for the full RPC timeout period (60 secs by default) and then reconnects. However, in an HA environment the newly-active rabbitmq server will be up and available long before then.

Also, on a controlled switchover the rabbitmq server will have done a formal shutdown of the connection which would notify the client that the connection is being shut down. Something on the client should notice that the server has gone away long before the RPC timeout is over, and alert anyone waiting for an RPC response that they're never going to get one.