Analysis of common functions of IP address management

The increased complexity of networks and IT facilities (such as VoIP, cloud computing, server virtualization, desktop virtualization, IPv6, and service automation, etc.) has forced the network team to use automated IP address management (IPAM) tools Allows administrators to assign subnets, assign / track / recover IP addresses, and provide visibility to the network.

The following are the common functions of IP address management:

Create a subnet for the new branch

Assign a new static IP address to the new printer

After the old server is scrapped, recover the IP address

Keep accurate records of IP address assignments and related data (such as MAC addresses, operating system types, and switch port connections, etc.).

Discover devices on the network and update data

Most companies use manual spreadsheets or local tools to accomplish this. The IP address management solution can be said to be a major improvement to the status quo, and the convenience of procurement and pricing will become the primary determinants. IP address management users will find that automated IP address management systems are gradually becoming the most important IT measures. Powerful IP address management automation solutions will open a new path for increasingly complex IT environments.

Required attributes for IP address management

The following is a list of attributes that the IP address management system must have:

(1) Discover and report on terminal equipment, infrastructure and the connection between the two

A good IP address management automation solution can capture information in various ways, including data import and lease information from the DHCP server and static IP allocation. Among so many methods, automatic discovery is the most effective method. The following are the issues that need to be noted when comparing the discovery capabilities of various solutions:

The richness of the data discovered: whether the IP address management system captures these attributes: device operating system, connected switch port, VLAN, etc.

Ability to report and view data when needed: Can your IP address management system generate reports, such as all windows devices running on VLAN 2 connected to switch 4? Are all printers classified according to the floor they are on? When solving difficult problems, these types of questions need to be answered.

Broad vendor support: This is an aspect that is often overlooked. Most IP address management vendors support the discovery of Cisco equipment. However, the network contains infrastructure components from multiple network vendors, and unsupported network devices will leave vulnerabilities in your IP address management database. When comparing various vendors, make sure that the vendor you choose can support most network vendors' switches and routers.

(2) Single pane view of physical and virtual infrastructure

The dynamic nature of virtualized environments and cloud computing environments may affect daily IT work. Specifically, it is difficult to track the connectivity between virtual machines and physical network infrastructure. A powerful IP address management solution should be able to track the connection between the virtual machine and the physical infrastructure, such as during creation, transfer, and shutdown. If your IP address management system provides this information, you will be able to do the following:

1. When the top rack switch is shut down due to updates, you can determine which virtual machines (and related applications) will be affected.

2. Determine whether the virtual machine will face performance issues when migrating to an ESX server (connected to a slower switch port).

3. Track the entire network performance problems of virtual machine desktop users from the database center to the desktop

(3) Historical connectivity data and reports

A good IP address management solution should save historical connection data, which can come in handy when you try to investigate security or compliance issues. Specifically, the IP address management system should be able to answer some simple questions, such as: Which device used this IP address yesterday? Which device was connected to the data center No. 4 switch on the day of the security breach? Has been connected to our company network The location of the specific device?

More important IP address management features

There are four other attributes that IP address management should possess:

(1) Visual appeal

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when processing reports that contain thousands of lines of information about the device and its attributes. A good IP address management solution should provide highly graphical components that allow users to more intuitively view network usage, IP address allocation and status, location, and connectivity between network infrastructure components. The graphical way can speed up the task process and decision making.

(2). Role-based management

If your company contains employees with different skill levels and responsibilities, then the IP address management you choose is best to provide the ability to assign the corresponding role. For example, the service desk technician should be assigned a static IP address that can be assigned to some specific subnets Privileges; the network administrator of the branch office should own the controller for the entire subnet of the branch office. Troubleshooting engineers can only perform read-only access to IP address management connectivity data and so on. This function can ensure that the company's employees successfully complete their responsibilities. In addition, good audit and playback functions are required to ensure that configuration errors can be tracked and resolved.

(3). DNS / DHCP integration

A good IP address management solution should work closely with the DNS system and DHCP system to receive updated information and update DNS records to ensure that its information is up-to-date. When a new device joins the network, the DNS records are changed and updated. In this case, the IP address management system will not have IP conflicts (for example, someone connected to your network and assigned a static IP address to The device, and this IP address is actually part of the DHCP range, may be leased to another device by the DHCP server, thus causing IP conflicts and connectivity issues).

(4). Integration

Typically, tasks related to IP address management are part of a larger system, and IP address management is only part of the workflow. A qualified IP address management system should provide simple integration with other parts of the IT system (such as server configuration system, cloud configuration system, request tracking system, etc.).

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