What does IPAM mean?
IPAM is short for IP Address Management. It is a method of IP scanning and IP address tracking. It manages the data correlated with a network’s Internet Protocol address range and IPAM system. As a result, administrators are able to guarantee that the list of assignable IP addresses is up to date and enough with IPAM software and IP tools. It comes to make things simple and automates the management of many duties for maintaining IPs. With the IPAM network, are also common functionalities, such as managing reservations in DHCP, reporting, and data collection.
How does it work?
IPAM assists with numerous tasks, and each has its own process. As a result, there can be variations in the technical way they work.
It handles three essential things in every network: IP addresses, Domain Name System (DNS), and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). They produce fundamental data for IPAM to accomplish its tasks.
To receive details from all your network’s devices, IPAM uses Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), and neighborhood scanning. SNMP is capable of collecting and organizing information about IP networks’ devices.
With the combination of such tech and further monitoring tools, IPAM is able to receive the needed information to control the IP address range o your network. The whole statistics and information is saved in a database and can be easily accessed.
IPAM combination with DNS and DHCP
Administrators who manage DNS and DHCP services can benefit from IPAM. IPAM tools can be effective on their own, but they can’t solve alone underlying problems frequently associated with decentralized network based systems.
If you apply IPAM software on its own, the absence of integration with DNS and DHCP can be a problem. This is because these core networks roles are strongly tied to each other. If you want your IPAM data much more accurate, keep DNS and DHCP data synced. It would be a lot more valuable that way.
Operating without it
You can operate without IPAM, but it will be more challenging. The IT team can handle a small network with a simple spreadsheet. It will contain a table of IPs, routers, connected devices and port numbers. For a bigger network, this way of managing will be very problematic. It will be the admin’s job to check the extensive number of IPs (IPv4 and IPv6) and constantly will have to update the spreadsheet.
Here are some of the problems that probably will occur:
- Troubleshooting difficulties. Everything is more complicated when it has to be done manually. Discovering the specific network issue can be a nightmare. It could take a lot of valuable time.
- Safety problems. The chance for security breaches is very high. An unrecognized new device can connect to the network when the accountability is not well done.
- IP address struggle. IP conflict is a possible scenario if there is no well-configured DHCP, and the admin is doing it manually. If two machines receive the same IP, neither one will be able to connect. If one of the devices is a server, this would surely be annoying.
- Compliant problems. You might need reports and logs for your IP address space. It depends on the country you are in. If you are required to provide a report, it has to be proper.