Smart IP Management - Managing Location IP Addresses

Overview

Smart IP management in LogCentral allows you to control which IP addresses can send logs to your locations. This security feature ensures that only authorized sources can submit logs to your infrastructure, providing an essential layer of access control for your log ingestion pipeline.

By managing IP addresses at the location level, you can restrict log submissions to known, trusted sources while blocking unauthorized attempts to send data to your locations.

Understanding IP-Based Access Control

IP address management works as a whitelist system for log ingestion. When you add IP addresses to a location, only those specific addresses are authorized to send logs to that location’s endpoint. This helps you:

• Secure your log infrastructure by limiting access to known sources
• Prevent unauthorized log submissions from unknown IP addresses
• Control data ingestion costs by blocking unwanted traffic
• Maintain audit compliance by tracking authorized log sources

Managing Location IP Addresses

Accessing IP Management

To manage IP addresses for a location:

1. Navigate to your organization’s locations
2. Select the specific location you want to configure
3. Access the location details page at /organizations/:orgId/locations/:locationId
4. Locate the IP management section

The IP management interface is available on the location details page, which provides comprehensive location information including statistics, logs, and configuration options.

Adding IP Addresses

To authorize a new IP address for log ingestion:

1. Access the IP management section on your location details page
2. Enter the IP address you want to authorize
3. Save your changes

Important: Only users with location management permissions can add or modify IP addresses. If you don’t see the IP management controls, contact your organization owner or administrator.

Managing Multiple IP Addresses

Each location can have multiple authorized IP addresses, allowing you to:

• Configure multiple log sources for a single location
• Support distributed infrastructure with various ingestion points
• Maintain backup or redundant log collection systems

When managing multiple IPs, consider organizing them by:

• Purpose: Production servers, staging environments, backup systems
• Geographic location: Different data centers or regions
• Service type: Application servers, network devices, security appliances

Updating or Removing IP Addresses

To modify your authorized IP list:

1. Navigate to the location details page
2. Access the IP management section
3. Remove outdated or unauthorized IP addresses
4. Add new authorized addresses as needed
5. Save your configuration

Best Practice: Regularly review your authorized IP list to ensure it reflects your current infrastructure and remove any addresses that are no longer in use.

Location Activation and IP Requirements

Location status affects how IP management works:

• Enabled locations: Actively accept logs from authorized IP addresses
• Disabled locations: Do not accept logs, regardless of IP configuration

You can enable or disable locations from the location details page. When a location is disabled, log ingestion is completely stopped, even from authorized IPs. This is useful for:

• Temporarily pausing log collection
• Performing maintenance
• Testing configuration changes

Security Best Practices

IP Configuration Guidelines

Follow these recommendations for secure IP management:

1. Use specific IP addresses: Avoid overly broad ranges when possible
2. Document your IPs: Keep records of which systems correspond to each authorized IP
3. Regular audits: Review your IP whitelist periodically to remove unused addresses
4. Principle of least privilege: Only authorize IPs that actively need to send logs
5. Monitor changes: Track who modifies IP configurations and when

Access Control Considerations

Remember that IP management controls log ingestion access, not user access to the LogCentral platform. For user access control:

• User permissions are managed separately through your organization’s user management system
• Role-based access control determines who can view logs and manage locations
• IP whitelisting and user permissions work together to provide comprehensive security

Network Security Integration

IP management works best as part of a broader security strategy:

• Combine with network-level firewalls for defense in depth
• Use secure protocols for log transmission
• Implement monitoring for unauthorized access attempts
• Coordinate IP management with your network security team

Troubleshooting IP Configuration

Logs Not Being Received

If logs aren’t appearing after configuring IP addresses:

1. Verify the IP address: Ensure you’ve added the correct source IP
2. Check location status: Confirm the location is enabled
3. Review recent changes: Check if IP configuration was recently modified
4. Examine log sources: Verify your log sources are sending to the correct endpoint

Common Configuration Issues

Issue: Logs were working but suddenly stopped

• Solution: Check if the source IP address has changed (common with dynamic IPs or cloud infrastructure)

Issue: Cannot add or modify IP addresses

• Solution: Verify you have location management permissions for the organization

Issue: Logs from multiple sources not all arriving

• Solution: Ensure all source IPs are added to the authorized list

Understanding the Location Details Page

The location details page provides comprehensive information about your location, including:

• Location statistics: Status, storage usage, last log received, and platform information
• Live log streaming: Real-time log viewing via WebSocket connection
• Storage charts: Usage tracking with predictions
• Current logs viewer: Search and filter through recent logs
• IP address management: Configure authorized sources
• Filter rules: Set up log filtering patterns to optimize storage
• Integration status: Monitor connected services

This centralized view helps you manage all aspects of your location, including IP-based access control.

Related Topics

• User Management: Control who can access and manage locations in your organization
• Log Filtering: Configure filter rules to reduce storage costs by dropping unwanted logs
• Storage Management: Monitor and optimize your location’s storage usage
• Location Configuration: General location settings and management

---

Need Help?

If you’re experiencing issues with IP management or have questions about securing your log ingestion, contact your organization administrator or reach out to LogCentral support.