Show or Edit Reserved IPs — Simple & Complete Guide

Show or Edit Reserved IPs — Simple & Complete Guide

Show or Edit Reserved IPs — Simple & Complete Guide

Use this page to see every IP address known to the server, mark IPs as reserved (so they aren’t assigned to new accounts or resellers), add notes about why they’re reserved, and release them when they’re no longer needed.

Important: Reserving an IP keeps it out of the general pool. Do not reserve IPs that are actively assigned to normal accounts unless you’ve planned the change.

What You’ll See

The list typically includes columns such as:

  • IP Address — The IPv4 (and, where applicable, IPv6) address.
  • Status — Reserved or available.
  • Notes/Reason — A short explanation (e.g., “for nameserver,” “for migration,” “billing hold”).
  • Used By — Whether the IP is attached to an account, service, or interface alias.

Common Reasons to Reserve an IP

  • Nameservers or service IPs — Keep consistent addressing for DNS, mail, etc.
  • Licensing — Hold an IP for a license or compliance requirement.
  • Migrations — Temporarily prevent reuse during a move or cutover.
  • Abuse management — Quarantine an IP pending review.

Reserve an IP (Step-by-Step)

  1. Find the target IP in the table.
  2. Click Edit (or the reserve toggle) for that IP.
  3. Enable Reserved and add a short Note/Reason (recommended).
  4. Click Save.

After saving, the IP is excluded from normal assignment workflows (for example, it won’t be picked for new dedicated IP requests).

Edit a Reservation

  1. Locate the reserved IP and click Edit.
  2. Update the Note/Reason as needed (e.g., extend a maintenance window).
  3. Click Save.

Release (Unreserve) an IP

  1. Verify the IP is not in use by critical services or active accounts.
  2. Open Edit for that IP and disable the Reserved setting.
  3. Clear or adjust the note, then Save.

Once released, the IP returns to the available pool and may be assigned by normal tools.

Good Practices

  • Always write a note when reserving an IP (who, why, until when).
  • Review reservations periodically and release IPs you no longer need.
  • Keep service IPs stable (DNS, mail, hostname) to avoid extra propagation or SSL changes.
  • Coordinate with DNS and routing before changing the status of publicly used IPs.

Where the System Tracks Reserved IPs

Many systems write reservations to a simple configuration file. A common example is:

/etc/reservedips

(Do not edit by hand unless you know the exact format and fully understand the implications. Use the interface whenever possible.)

Quick Checks

Useful shell checks (run as root) when you’re auditing the IP pool:

# List current IP aliases (example)
ip addr show | awk '/inet / {print $2, $7}'

# See files that often track IP pools
ls -l /etc/ips /etc/ipaddrpool /etc/reservedips

# Search who is using a specific IP in configs
grep -R \"192.0.2.10\" /var/cpanel /var/named /etc 2>/dev/null

Troubleshooting

  • IP shows “in use” — Check vhost configs, DNS zones, mail/bindings, and interface aliases. Release only after moving or disabling dependents.
  • Reservation not honored — Rebuild the IP pool or restart IP aliasing if your platform uses those services, then re-check the page.
  • Unexpected assignment — Confirm the IP wasn’t unreserved by another admin; add clearer notes and, if needed, permissions policies.

Summary

  • View all server IPs and quickly mark any as reserved.
  • Add notes, keep service IPs stable, and prevent accidental reuse.
  • Release IPs when finished so they return to the available pool.
  • Audit reservations regularly to keep addressing clean and predictable.
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