What is network address planning and IP management (IPAM)?

IP Address Management (IPAM) is the practice of planning, tracking, and managing the allocation of IP addresses in a network. Without proper IPAM, networks suffer from IP conflicts, address exhaustion, and poor documentation. IPAM includes: address inventory (tracking which IPs are assigned to which devices), DNS/DHCP management (DDI — DNS, DHCP, IPAM), subnet planning (CIDR allocation, VLSM, hierarchical addressing), and audit trails. Tools: phpIPAM (open-source), NetBox (open-source, also tracks devices/cables), Infoblox (enterprise DDI), BlueCat, Microsoft IPAM (Windows Server built-in). Best practices: document all allocations, reserve ranges for servers/network equipment/DHCP, use consistent naming conventions, and implement hierarchical addressing (summarizable routes reduce routing table size). IPAM becomes critical in organizations with thousands of devices and multiple sites.