BACKGROUND

Computer networks are sets of interconnected computing devices that communicate with each other using communication protocols over digital connections. Various communication protocols exist that enable computing devices to communicate by defining rules for how to package data, encrypt data, transmit data, receive data, and so forth. To ensure that data traffic is routed and communicated through networks to the correct destination devices, the Internet Protocol (IP) provides an addressing system where computing devices are provided with unique addresses, called IP addresses. When computing devices join networks, they are provided unique IP addresses that enable them to effectively communicate traffic with other devices over the networks. Similarly, when computing devices leave the networks, they release their IP addresses which can then be re-allocated for use by future devices. To ensure that data is communicated to the correct devices, computing devices are generally provided unique, non-overlapping IP addresses to avoid problems with routing and communication of data.

Thus, every computing device, resource, and workload connected to a network depends on its IP address to communicate. The explosive growth of network-connected mobile devices and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, along with the rapid shift in workloads to the cloud, requires organizations and entities to plan, track, and manage IP addresses at large scales. Organizations that manage networks must keep track of information associated with potentially hundreds of thousands of IP addresses, including the inventory of used and unused IP addresses, subnetworks, routing domains, security settings, and so forth. This task can be complex and can lead to latency in allocating IP addresses to new devices, IP address conflicts, resource connectivity issues and application downtime, and other issues. Additionally, mismanagement of IP addresses can result in network issues, such as inaccurate routing tables, outdated access lists of firewalls, and so forth.

