Inventory of IP Addresses

Description

Out of the many Inventory Items collected, IP addresses are  included in those automatically provided.  However, what does that mean.  For device communication, many IPs exist for communication and there is more than one address obtained from some devices.

Information

There are two distinct IP Inventory entries:

• All Devices > IP Address
• Network IP Address > IP Address

All Devices IP

This IP is how the server sees the incoming traffic.  As such, it isn't as much device inventory, but inventory of live traffic to the server.

Network IP

The value reported as the Network IP Address, however, is inventory.  Each network adapter will be included in the report back to the FileWave Server during the inventory phase; thus multiple entries per device.

Apple mobile devices will have a blank value, since this IP is provided by the FileWave Client

Considerations

All Devices IP

Since the IP for All Devices is actually the IP of incoming traffic, in reality it is the last leg of the communication between devices and the FileWave server.

What does this mean for this inventory field.  In many setups, not much and is really useful.  By reporting the last leg of traffic, it immediately provides some information about the device.  For example, if this was a company NAT address, the device is clearly talking back to the server from an alternate location.  Yet, there are some other examples where this may not be the best.

Hosted

Where servers are cloud hosted, the last leg of traffic is from the Load Balancer to the FileWave Server.  Since all traffic will be through the Load Balancer, then the reported IP will be the local IP of that Load Balancer.

Booster Routing

This has a similar consequence with Hosted.  Since FileWave Client communication is through the Booster, the last leg of traffic (as viewed by the FileWave Server) will be the Booster (the last Booster if cascaded).  On face value, this would appear initially as useful as first described.  Immediately, it is clear that a client is either reporting directly to the server or through a Booster.  In the latter case, which Booster if multiple exist.  However, there is an additional complication.

Due to requests, the software was altered to provide the local client IP of devices routing through Boosters, with the intention of improving the experience of the Client Monitor.

When a device using Booster Routing first checks in, the IP actually reported will initially be that of the Booster.  From this communication, after a period of time, the value will be updated to reflect the Client IP instead.  However, it may be likely that the communication will be re-established at a later date, causing the Booster IP to be reported again.  As such, there will be a duration of time where the Booster address will be seen, before the Client local IP is shown instead.

Custom Fields

Scripted Custom Fields can return any value that is programatically obtainable.  If a different value was desired, it may be possible for a Client Script or Client Command Line Custom Field to report an alternate chosen value.

Scripted Custom Fields are only available for computer devices: macOS & Windows.