Various IT initiative such as server virtualization, cloud computing, VoIP and desktop virtualization has force network teams to search for tools to automate IP address management(IPAM). Automated IPAM tools offer administrators with an opportunity to increase visibility into networks and allocate IP addresses. An automated IP address management system is increasingly becoming vital for most IT initiatives. Below are attributes that are necessary for an IP address management system.
The best IP management system will capture all information by use of different ways like static IP assignments, data imports and lease information. It is advisable to make comparisons of capabilities of different solutions. Give consideration to the discovered data richness.
Choose a solution that offers you a chance to report and view data when needed. It assists in troubleshooting problems that are difficult. You want a solution that offers wide vendor support. Networks contain multiple networking vendors with different components of infrastructure. You should not choose unsupported networking equipment to avoid leaving loopholes in your database. Compare different platforms for you to select a platform with wide set of supported vendor switches and routers.
Also, everyday IT tasks require dynamic cloud computing environments. It can be difficult to track connectivity between physical network infrastructure and virtual machines. An effective IP address management system should be able to track the linkage between the two. A good platform maintains the historical connection data. This is important when investigating compliance and security issues.
The solution needs to be able to answer simple questions like IP address that was used the previous day. It helps in case of breach of security. You will also be able to know the specific devices that connect to your corporate network. The system should be visually appealing. It is evident when dealing with reports that contain a lots of information. The best platform will provide insight on graphical components like location, infrastructure components and IP address distribution. Visual elements assist in speeding up of tasks and decisions.
It is vital you select a system that can assign roles.
It will help you especially if you have employees with different responsibilities and skills. It will ensure there will be good auditing and you can track back configuration errors.
Additionally, you want a system that is not existing in a vacuum. IP address management tasks make a huge part of the entire system. A great platform needs to integrate well with the rest of the system. IP address in an important part of both small and large companies. It can be disastrous to overlook the importance having a handle on IP addresses.