hpObserver

Check the status of websites with this intuitive program that allows you to perform recurring monitoring operations with multiple validation methods

hpObserver is a lightweight application that sends packets of information via the network to selected targets, in order to check their status (online or not).

The utility comes with five validation methods (ICMP, TCP/IP, IP Resolution rDNS, XML HTTP and Imitate browser). Having so many functions prevents false readings.

An interesting feature is that users can actually test these validation methods against each other. This is very important since some procedures can take a lot of time, and, therefore, cause the system to become unresponsive.

Another plus is the “Monitor” option. This allows users to set up recurring scans (on predefined time intervals of one, five and ten minutes).

Using this method over a long period of time can reveal consistency problems since a one-time URL check can say little about the overall uptime. This being said, users should be careful, since sites can be down in between network scans!

The program supports multiple methods of exporting results. CSV, HTML and TXT are all valid options. The latter can also be customized to accommodate certain formats.

For example, one could export the scan results as HOSTS and Outpost IP Block preformatted TXT files.

The interface is simple and adequate to the task at hand. Test results return a wealth of information by default, and this can confuse some users.

Trimming the results to a manageable size is performed by accessing “Settings” and unchecking boxes in the “Results” tab.

This is a great feature, since network scans tend to contain a plethora of characters that profane users will find unintelligible.

The interface complements the core functions of the program, which makes hpObserver an overall good website monitor.