HeapDeck brings native PostgreSQL on-call monitoring to iPhone and iPad

HeapDeck, a new native iOS application, offers on-call PostgreSQL monitoring for iPhone and iPad users managing PostgreSQL versions 13 through 19. The app presents a health dashboard with ten tiles and specialized screens for lock trees, session activity, transaction ID wraparound, dead tuples, replication lag, and statement statistics. It connects directly to databases or via SSH tunnel, employing TLS with pinned fingerprints without an intermediary vendor server.

The app operates only while open and does not send alerts, positioning it as a companion to existing monitoring infrastructure rather than a replacement. A free tier supports single-server monitoring, while HeapDeck Pro adds multi-server support and administrative actions including session cancellation, termination, VACUUM execution, replication slot removal, and write operations through a one-time in-app purchase.

Architecture and monitoring capabilities

• Lock visualization: The Locks screen renders blocking hierarchies from pg_blocking_pids() with root blockers at the top and quantifies how many sessions would be freed by terminating a specific blocker.
• Diagnostic coverage: Screens expose pg_stat_activity, transaction ID wraparound status, dead tuple counts, replication lag and slot states, and pg_stat_statements data.
• Connection security: Supports direct connections and SSH tunnels, with TLS and certificate fingerprint pinning; no vendor-operated relay server intermediates the connection.
• Operational model: Functions only while the app is active, emits no alerts, and targets supplemental use alongside existing alerting systems.
• Administrative actions: Pro tier enables pg_cancel_backend, pg_terminate_backend, VACUUM, replication slot dropping, and write operations against monitored servers.

Why it matters

While HeapDeck itself is proprietary software, its endorsement through official PostgreSQL news channels reflects growing demand for mobile-first database operations tooling in open-source data infrastructure. The direct-connection architecture without vendor intermediaries aligns with operational security practices valued in self-hosted PostgreSQL deployments, though the proprietary licensing and Apple-platform exclusivity limit its reach within the broader Linux and open-source systems administration community.