IPAM (IP Address Manager)

Last updated: 2026-05-24

IPAM tracks IP address allocations, subnet utilization, DHCP scopes, and DNS records — the network plumbing nobody likes maintaining in a spreadsheet.

What it is

IP Address Manager (IPAM) is the SolarWinds Orion module that maintains a system of record for IP address space. It tracks which addresses are allocated to which devices, which subnets are running out of space, and integrates with Microsoft DHCP / DNS, Cisco DHCP, BIND, and other authoritative sources.

IPAM replaces the Excel spreadsheet most networks track addresses in. That sounds like a small thing until you're hunting for a free IP at 2am and somebody hands you "the spreadsheet" which is six months out of date.

What it manages

• Subnets — hierarchically organized, with utilization tracking.
• IP allocations — which device has which IP, with history.
• DHCP scopes — live view of leases, exclusions, reservations.
• DNS records — A, PTR, CNAME records integrated with DHCP allocations.
• Conflict detection — duplicate IP usage, scope overlap.
• Custom fields — owner, department, environment, ticket reference, anything you want to track per address.

IPAM integrates with Active Directory, Microsoft DHCP and DNS servers, Cisco DHCP, BIND, and Infoblox in various directions. It can be authoritative for DHCP/DNS itself or just a read-only system of record over external authoritative sources.

What PocketNOC shows from IPAM

PocketNOC's coverage of IPAM is limited — the app is monitoring-focused, and IPAM is fundamentally a system-of-record tool. IPAM-related alerts (subnet running out of free addresses, DHCP scope conflicts) do surface in the unified alert stream if IPAM is licensed.

See also

• NPM — network monitoring that pairs naturally with IPAM.
• Orion Platform.