Manage IP Addresses with IPAM

IP Address Management (IPAM) is a very useful server feature that allows administrators to track, manage, and audit IP addresses with a pleasant user interface. Long gone are those days when administrators used pen and paper to jot down the IP addresses that were assigned to computers. For good reasons, too! With the rise of IPv6 addresses, in addition to the already existing IPv4 addresses, there are too many addresses to keep track of.

Configuration Requirements for IPAM

In order to implement IPAM seamlessly, configure the network environment according to the following requirements:

1. IPAM servers must not be domain controllers.
2. IPAM should be installed on a standalone server — do not install IPAM onto the same server where there is a DHCP Server role service.

Tracking IP Addresses

Tracking allows administrators to examine IP addresses utilization, DHCP lease events, and any information that pertains to an IP address (i.e. — client ID, host name, and user name). This information is pertinent to optimizing allocation of network resources.

Managing IP Addresses

IPAM provides a platform to centralize management of IP addresses, which enables planning and monitoring of IP address space. Based on these utilization forecasts, administrators can scale IP address spaces with appropriate parameters to meet the needs of networks. This prevents administrators from allocating too little or too many IP addresses to a network.

Auditing IP Addresses

IPAM auditing enables administrators to examine activities in the event of a problem, providing information on who owned an IP address during a certain time or what administrative task was performed. This allows the ability to troubleshoot for errors or to investigate that proper regulatory requirements were followed.