Unable to Add DNS/DHCP Servers to IPAM – “Authorization Failure: Authorization has been denied for this request”

3/30/2026 3:39 PM

3/30/2026 4:05 PM

When attempting to add a DNS or DHCP server in IPAM, the operation fails with:

Authorization Failure
Authorization has been denied for this request.

This occurs even though the DHCP server is already monitored in the SolarWinds Platform (for example, as an agent-polled node), and IPAM itself is otherwise functional.

IP Address Manager

This error is generated by the SolarWinds Platform authorization layer (RBAC), not by the DHCP/DNS server.

Typical root causes:

1. The logged-in SolarWinds account (user or AD group) does not have sufficient IPAM privileges to manage DHCP/DNS servers.
2. The account is assigned a restricted IPAM role (e.g., Viewer) that cannot add or manage infrastructure objects such as DHCP/DNS servers.
3. In some cases, administrators assume that having NPM/SAM admin rights is enough; IPAM has separate product-specific permissions.

The polling method of the DHCP server node (e.g., Agent vs WMI/SNMP) does not cause this “Authorization Failure” message. It only determines how IPAM will later retrieve data from that server once you are authorized to add it.

1. Verify the problem is authorization

Attempt the same action as the built-in admin account:

1. Log out of the web console.
2. Log back in as the local SolarWinds admin account created during installation.
3. Navigate to IPAM → DHCP & DNS Management.
4. Try Add DHCP Server or Add DNS Server again.

• If the add operation succeeds as admin but fails for your normal account, the issue is confirmed to be permissions/RBAC.

2. Grant appropriate IPAM permissions

Using an account that can edit users/groups (for example, admin):

1. Go to Settings → All Settings → Manage Accounts.
2. Locate the affected user or its AD group and click Edit.
3. Scroll to the Product-specific privileges / IP Address Manager section.
4. Assign one of the following:
   • IPAM Administrator role, or
   • A custom IPAM role that explicitly allows:
     • Manage DHCP Servers
     • Manage DNS Servers
     • Manage IP Addresses/Subnets (as required by your environment).
5. Click Submit.
6. Log out and log back in as the affected account and retry adding the DHCP/DNS server.

If your environment relies on group-based access, ensure the AD group used by the user has the correct IPAM permissions; user-level changes alone will not override a restrictive group role.

3. Confirm IPAM licensing and feature availability

If permissions look correct and the error persists:

1. Go to Settings → License Details.
2. Confirm IP Address Manager is:
   • Licensed, and
   • Not in an expired or severely restricted evaluation state.
3. If IPAM is out of license or partially disabled, some management operations (including adding DHCP/DNS servers) may be blocked until licensing is corrected.