Connection pool management

A method, system, and computer program product that includes a processor assigning a network connection to an application, based upon the application requesting the network connection from a pool of network connections for connecting applications to a network resource, the assigned network connection for communicating a message with the network resource. The processor replaces the assigned network connection in the pool with a placeholder comprising configuration data of the assigned connection. The processor determined a period of inactivity of the assigned network connection, and the processor returns the assigned network connection to the pool, based upon the period reaching a defined threshold of inactivity.