But such schemes can cause problems on the network, as one address may be assigned twice, leaving one user off the network. Software that reduces the work of these network managers by helping track network IP assignments and automating configuration duties is gaining popularity.

IP management software combines a centralized database with Domain Name System (DNS) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. Most operating systems, including those from Microsoft, Sun, IBM, and Novell, have built-in support for DHCP and DNS, but they don't have the database component included. DHCP can potentially save a lot of work, because it allows servers to automatically configure workstations when they first connect to the network instead of a network administrator having to manually configure them.

These DHCP tools also map the network and track usage statistics, giving managers a clearer picture of who is using the network, when, and for how long. Previously, tracking such information had been nearly impossible on large networks. The tools are also likely to help networks migrate to IPv6, the next-generation Internet Protocol expected to be widely deployed in the next few years.

Companies that for years have specialized in developing these IP management solutions-firms such as Quadritek Systems Inc., MetaInfo, and American Internet-have attracted the attention of major players in the enterprise network sector. Earlier this year Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. acquired MetaInfo, and last year Bay Networks acquired Isotro Network Management Inc., another DNS and DHCP software company Also this year, Cisco Systems announced it will license American Internet's DNS and DHCP technology and integrate it into Cisco's policy management system.

"Few of the products in this niche have come from any of the major players," said Brace Robertson, an analyst with the Meta Group. "They're now realizing that this is a niche that they should have a stake in."

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For Michael Stark, senior technology consultant for Bank Boston, running an IP management tool — in this case, Quadritek's QIP — let him easily manage the addresses of about half of the company's 22,000 users.

"We've had about 10,000 people moving around in the last year, and without the DHCP, that would have meant a lot of manual reconfiguration," Stark said. "In this case, all we had to do was move them and plug them in, and when they boot up the next morning they're configured."

Large companies with huge networks en-compassing many locations are obvious candidates for such tools. Products such as Quadritek's QIP and Bay Networks' NetID are geared toward these large organizations. But small and midsize organizations have IP management issues well. Quadritek last month shipped QIPxpress, a scaled-down version of QIP for Windows NT, and MetaInfo has launched Meta IP 4.0 with an eye toward small and midsize companies.

Quadritek also launched Qservice Complete, an outsourcing solution for companies without the personnel on hand to handle IP management duties. The service will basically offer remote DHCP and DNS services.

Maribel Lopez, an analyst with Forrester Research, said that eventually IP management tools will be embedded into networking products. "Clearly, this is something people are going to need if they are running IP networks," she said. "There is not a lot of room for new entrants in this space."