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DNS Resolver — Forward and Reverse Lookup in ObserveOps

DNS Resolver performs DNS lookups directly in ObserveOps , from the assigned Collector. Use it to verify hostname-to-IP mappings, diagnose DNS misconfiguration, and confirm that devices resolve correctly from the Collector's perspective.

Prerequisites

  • You must have the Admin or NOC role.
  • The Collector must have access to a DNS server — either configured locally or via the network.
  • A valid hostname or IP address to resolve is required.

How It Works

ObserveOps sends a DNS query from the Collector to its configured DNS server. For a hostname input, it resolves to the corresponding IP address. For an IP address input, it resolves to the hostname via reverse lookup. Results reflect the DNS view from the Collector, which may differ from what the browser or management host resolves.

Go to Main Menu > Settings > Utility > DNS Resolver.

DNS Resolver screen showing the IP Address/Host Name input field

Running a DNS Lookup

FieldDescription
IP Address / Host NameEnter a hostname for forward lookup (resolves to IP) or an IP address for reverse lookup (resolves to hostname).

Click Test to run the lookup. Click Reset to clear the form.

tip

If a device is reachable by IP but not by hostname, run DNS Resolver from the Collector assigned to that device's subnet. A failure here explains why hostname-based discovery may be failing for that device.

Example

A monitoring engineer adds a new device using its FQDN and discovery fails. They open Utility > DNS Resolver, enter the FQDN, and click Test. The result shows no record found. The engineer confirms the DNS A record has not been created yet and works with the DNS admin to add it before retrying discovery.