IP Address Database Utility ??????

[robertjo24]

I am looking for a simple utility/database (preferably MS Access), to keep track of our growing network. We utilize a great number of static addresses for field equipment, and we are running into a problem keeping track of IP addresses. As we grow, we are finding it more and more difficult to track all the IP addresses on the network. We are currently using a spread sheet to log addresses as we assign them, but this is cumbersome, and there is way too much room for error.
I would like to be able to make a simple request for a static IP address, enter the location and domain it will reside on, and then get the specific address for the device. I would like the database/utility to log the addresses in use, give location and subnet info, and who requested the address. A reporting function would also be nice.
Did I say “SIMPLE” utility?
Anyone know of such a thing?

 

[melone]

Why not make something in Excel?

 

[Benkku]

Hi there,

How about using network monitor and suitable software to 'build a map' from your networked devices.

For example using Fluke Network analyzer and for software I would recommend an Microsoft Visio plus an module for the Fluke Analyzer.

Then you could develop Visio module (VBA) to store network information to the 'any' database which has ODBC compliant drivers.

Of course this method seems to be expensive/costly in the beginning (invest), but when your network grows or topology changes substantially - new network maps are generated easily.

 

[WhoJuntao]

Our network WAS like this before, we used MS Access to make the database you were talking about. The most important thing was the ability to put IP addresses as primary keys, this way we dont get the IP conflict anymore.

Further we can link static IP to MAC address, this way a user cannot modify its IP into a non-assigned one and do havoc in other people's identity.

Reports can easily be generated based on Queries by Domain, the results can be exported to Excel, all as raw functions in MS Access.

Unfortunately, we shifted towards DHCP (why ?), and now we have a software that monitors the traffic of every user as well. Good luck

 

[robertjo24]

Thanks for the info. We do use DHCP for all Corporate traffic, but we also pasas SCADA data accross the network, and all of our SCADA devices utilize static addresses. These addresses are the ones we need to track, and manage.
We will try to build a suitable Access database.

 

[richs]

Hi Robert-

Well, nobody here has mentioned the obvious. You can
certianly run a named or bind server. I guess that there
is an equlivalent version for Windoze, but for the 'nixes,
this is a pretty good place to start.

This way, with a bit of study, you can assign and work with
your own domains and subdomains, And, using standard tools
look up the location in the TXT records of the zone files.

In addition, you will never have to remember a static IP
address again. Just a reference to your resolver will have
your desktop/laptop query your new name server which will
return the static IP address and usually, the desktop will
connet directly to it! Just like typing in another url,
like

http://www.eng-tips.com

has to be looked up for a static IP
address to point to. So, you could say;

$ telnet spectrum-analyzer.rdlab.engr.xyz.com

and it would point to the spectrum analyzer in the r&d lab
of the engineering department of the xyz company. This could
be either an intranet or world wide accessable, but I would
imagine that you would want to keep this all on the
corporate side of the firewall.

Using the lookup commands for the TXT records you could
see:

$dig spectrum-analyzer.rdlab.engr.xyz.com

and get:

--------------------<stuff>---------------------------

TXT: spectrum analyzer is checked out to Joe Blow X2666
building 34d.

---------------------<more stuff>----------------------

You really don't need much of a server, you can get away
with a box running BSD, or Linux that is an old cast-off
from somebody's desktop.

Pretty slick eh! Well, now onto the bad side

HOWEVER.

1. It is not easy to implement. Expect a lot of
experimentation.

2. There is a pretty good tutorial in the documentation,
but I had to buy the O'Reilly book &quot;DNS and BIND&quot;
ISBN 0-596-00158-4. I think that what you want for
a server is a slave authorative non-recursive server.
Whew! Quite a mouthfull.

3. Named/bind might already be implemented by the IT
department for your corporation. If you can establish
a liason with them, then you job is much easier. Just
ask them to let you have a zone file with the static
IPs in them. Using the TXT record, you can put the
location of the device right in there. A User interface
(allbeit pretty turse) is available for the bind package.
Note that I haven't used it YMMV.......

4. I haven't use the &quot;free tools&quot; to maintain the zone files
myself. I've just done the raw ascii files for it. Again
YMMV.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Rich S.

 

[Benkku]

Yep,

If you want to 'map' an Scada device name to the static IP address there is an easy solution.

Add those addresses to the 'hosts' file (in Windows).

for example (rows in a hosts file).
Comment line begins with the #

#IP_Address Device_name
192.168.0.101 Organisation.MazakM100CrankhaftTurning.com

Regards
Benkku