IPAM, or Internet Protocol Address Management, is a method of organizing, tracking, and altering information about the IP addressing space. It can assist network administrators in keeping the IP address list up to date. It can be a list of allocated and unassigned IP addresses, as well as their subnets, status, hostname information, and even the hardware that goes with them. In most cases, an IPAM combines with DHCP and DNS to provide even more specific data.
Unfortunately, just like any other piece of technology, it can become outdated and inefficient and this makes it important to upgrade IPAM spreadsheets. An upgrade to your IP address management (IPAM) system can make it easier to keep track of your networks, subnets, and IP addresses, as well as check its overall health. IPAM has evolved dramatically in recent years as vendors have added new capabilities and features to serve new use cases. As a result, your company’s IPAM system may need to be upgraded. Below we have pointed out several reasons why you need to upgrade your IPAM.
1. Easier Administration
Upgraded IPAM solution simplifies and automates numerous IP space management administrative activities, such as creating DHCP settings and writing DNS records. Other features include better cross-platform visibility of IP resources, automatic real-time updates, DNS-DHCP configuration automation, built-in reporting, and other data aggregation capabilities.
2. Reduced Complexity
Effective IPAM reduces the complexity of IP address administration by utilizing a single centralized repository. It contains IP address space data obtained from the Regional Internet Registry (RIR). IPAM allows administrators to manage both public and private IP address plans, as well as find networks and acquire information about many connected hosts.
3. Enhanced Reliability
With increasing networks, there’s always the potential of misconfigurations, overlapping subnets, and IP address disputes. These dangers have a negative influence on a company’s entire network and increase network administrators’ workload. By implementing Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN), which reveals the actual location of a domain name in the tree hierarchy of a DNS server, upgraded IPAM software helps decrease these risks and increases troubleshooting time.
4. High-End Security
Network managers prioritize the security of their networks and linked devices. The admin team can use more effective IPAM data to detect potential risks, data breaches, and device misuse within an institution’s network infrastructure. Advanced IPAM software gives essential data about used IP addresses, which IP address is assigned to which device, when the IP address was assigned, and who the assigned device’s user is. This data can be used to spot patterns of security risks like network misuse or data theft. It’s critical to discover the root cause of problems and eliminate them as soon as possible to ensure data integrity and network health.
5. IPAM Compliance
Upgraded IPAM provides a centralized repository of IP addresses as well as compliance and audit trails. It assists the company in supplying required information to maintain regulatory compliance.