# IPAM overview

> Learn what ITVA tracks in IPAM, which data you add by hand, and which data ITVA collects live from your network.

Section: IPAM  
Source: https://www.itva.com/docs/ipam/ipam-overview  
Last updated: 2026-11-03

IP Address Management (IPAM) is the inventory of the subnets and IP addresses in your network. You enter some of this data by hand. ITVA collects the rest live from the devices in your network, through your probe.

## What IPAM tracks

- **Subnets**: the networks that you use, in CIDR notation, with a name, a location, and tags.
- **IP allocations**: single IP addresses in a subnet, with a name and a MAC address.
- **DNS zones and records**: the zones and records on your DNS servers.
- **ARP entries**: the IP address to MAC address tables on your routers, switches, and firewalls.
- **MAC entries**: the MAC address tables on your switches, which show the interface that learned each MAC address.

In the portal, go to **Inventory**. The **IP Address Management** menu has the **DNS**, **IP Allocations**, **Subnets**, and **Subnet Scans** pages.

## Manual data and live data from your network

IPAM has two kinds of data. Manual data is what you add and keep up to date. Automated data comes live from your network: ITVA reads it from your devices, so it shows what the network actually uses.

| Data | Kind | Where it comes from |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subnets | Manual | You add them, or import them from a CSV file |
| IP allocations with source Manual | Manual | You add them, or import them from a CSV file |
| IP allocations with source DHCP | Automated | Active leases on a Windows Server DHCP server |
| IP allocations with source DNS | Automated | A records on a Windows Server or Infoblox DNS server |
| DNS zones and records | Automated | Windows Server and Infoblox DNS servers |
| ARP entries | Automated | Routers, switches, firewalls, and Linux hosts |
| MAC entries | Automated | Switches |
| Discovered subnets | Automated | The IP addresses on your device interfaces |

_Each IP allocation shows its Source on the IP Allocations page: Manual, DHCP, or DNS._

For automated data, the probe on your network connects to each device, reads the data, and sends it to ITVA. ITVA then updates IPAM.

Each sync replaces the data from the sync before it. If an ARP entry, MAC entry, DHCP lease, or DNS record is no longer on the device, ITVA removes it from IPAM. So the automated data always shows your network at the time of the last sync.

ITVA does not collect automated data until you start a sync. Sync a device by hand, or create a schedule to sync it at a regular interval. See [Sync data from your devices](https://www.itva.com/docs/getting-started/sync-data-from-your-devices) and [Create your first schedule](https://www.itva.com/docs/getting-started/create-your-first-schedule).

## How the data connects

ITVA connects manual data and automated data through the IP address and the MAC address:

- **IP address to MAC address**: the MAC address on the IP allocation, and the ARP entries that have the same IP address.
- **MAC address to switch port**: the MAC entries for that MAC address. Each MAC entry shows the device and the interface.
- **IP address to hostname**: the name on the IP allocation, and the DNS records that point to the IP address. The **FQDN** column for ARP and MAC entries comes from DNS records.

Open an IP allocation to see its **ARP Entries** and **MAC Entries**. Open a subnet to see the **ARP Entries** for all IP addresses in that subnet. To find the switch port for one address, use **Tools** > **Troubleshooting** > **IP & MAC Address Lookup**. See [Sync ARP and MAC entries](https://www.itva.com/docs/ipam/sync-arp-and-mac-entries).

## Who can view and change IPAM data

In a role, the **IP Address Management** group has **DNS**, **IP Allocations**, and **Subnets**, each with View and Manage. See [Roles and permissions](https://www.itva.com/docs/access-management/roles-and-permissions).

| Task | Permission |
| --- | --- |
| View subnets, subnet scans, and discovered subnets | Subnets: View |
| Add, edit, import, tag, or delete subnets. Run a subnet scan or a DHCP sync | Subnets: Manage |
| View IP allocations | IP Allocations: View |
| Add, edit, import, download, or delete IP allocations | IP Allocations: Manage |
| View DNS zones and records | DNS: View |
| Sync DNS zones or add DNS hostnames to IP allocations | Manage permission on the DNS server device |
| See ARP and MAC entries | View permission on the device that collected them |

## What deleting removes

When you delete a subnet, ITVA also deletes all IP allocations in that subnet. Subnets inside it move up to the parent of the deleted subnet.

Caution: Before you delete a device, make sure that no subnet uses it as its **DHCP Server**. If you delete a DHCP server device, ITVA also deletes each subnet that uses it, and all IP allocations in those subnets.