Access to a device is controlled in a data processing network by receiving a first request from a client to connect to a device where the device is limited to a fixed number of client connections and connecting the client to an available client connection of the device if the fixed number of client connections on the device would not be exceeded by connecting the client. Access is further controlled by testing liveness of a current client connection on the device if the fixed number of client connections on the device would be exceeded by connecting the client and dropping the current client connection if the liveness testing indicates that the current client connection is not live.