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ISC Stork
ISC lists PO Box 360, Newmarket, New Hampshire 03857, USA as its address.
What it is
ISC Stork is a free, open-source web interface for monitoring, troubleshooting, and managing Kea DHCP server configuration. It reports host and daemon health, including memory, CPU utilization, software versions, and uptime, and tracks DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pool use and high-availability status. With the required Kea hooks installed, administrators can use its GUI to manage reservations, subnets, and pools. Stork can display BIND configuration and DNS zone information, though DNS support is in early stages and it does not modify BIND settings. Traffic activity can be exported to Prometheus for Grafana charts, and LDAP can provide administrator authentication and authorization. A deployment uses a Stork server and agents on application servers; the server requires PostgreSQL, while server-agent communications use TLS-secured gRPC. Stork expects the running Kea configuration to be the configuration of record, and the Kea Configuration Backend hook is incompatible with Stork management. It runs on most Linux and Unix platforms and macOS under the MPL 2.0 license. ISC offers free community help and paid professional support.
For and against
For
- Monitors DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pool utilization.
- GUI management covers reservations, subnets, and pools.
- Exports traffic activity to Prometheus for Grafana charts.
- Runs on Linux, Unix, and macOS.
Against
- The server requires PostgreSQL.
- DNS support is described as being in early stages.
- Stork does not modify BIND configuration.
- The Kea Configuration Backend hook is incompatible with Stork management.
The verdict
Stork provides free monitoring and management for Kea DHCP, with integrations for Prometheus, Grafana, and LDAP. Review its deployment requirements and Kea configuration limitation before using it to manage a server.
Who it suits
Stork suits administrators who manage Kea DHCP servers and want a graphical view of their health, pools, and configuration. It may also suit teams that use Prometheus, Grafana, or LDAP in their administration setup.
Plans and prices
Stork open-source software
Self-hosted server and agents · PostgreSQL required · Kea/BIND integrations
Read 15 Oct 2026 · isc.org
Kea/Stork support subscription
Gold, Silver, Bronze or Basic tiers · Stork support extra · Response SLAs vary
Read 15 Oct 2026 · isc.org
Professional support for Stork
Stork support is available with a Kea/Stork support subscription at additional cost
Read 29 Sep 2026 · isc.org
On the record
- Architecture
- A deployment uses one stork-server, agents on application servers and a PostgreSQL database; server-agent communication uses TLS-protected gRPC.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Audit findings
- The audit reported seven security-impact vulnerabilities, including two high-severity denial-of-service issues, plus five hardening recommendations.7asecurity.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- Documentation covers LDAP, OIDC, Kea basic authentication, HTTPS and mutual TLS; agent registration requires authorization or a protected token.stork.readthedocs.io · read 15 Oct 2026
- BIND limitation
- BIND configuration and zone data are currently displayed but Stork does not modify BIND information.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company
- Internet Systems Consortium, Inc. is a Delaware 501(c)(3) nonprofit associated with wholly owned Internet Systems Corporation and was founded in 1994.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Company size
- Crunchbase lists Internet Systems Consortium in the 11–50 employee band.crunchbase.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Current releases
- ISC lists Stork 2.6.0 and 2.4.2 as current stable releases in October 2026, with 2.5.1 marked development.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Database requirement
- The server uses PostgreSQL and can run on a POSIX system with Go and PostgreSQL; ISC mainly tests Ubuntu and RHEL LTS releases.stork.readthedocs.io · read 15 Oct 2026
- DHCP features
- Stork monitors DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pool utilization and high-availability status, and provides GUI management for reservations, subnets, and pools when the required Kea hooks are installed.isc.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- DHCP pool monitoring
- Stork tracks DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pool and shared-network utilization, including provisioned and assigned addresses.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- DNS support
- Stork can display BIND configuration and DNS zone information, and the page says DNS support is in early stages.isc.org · read 29 Sep 2026
- DNS zone support
- Stork polls BIND and PowerDNS for zones and serials, supports zone and RR-type filters, compares serials and fetches zone contents.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation depth
- The Administrator Reference Manual covers installation, configuration, DHCP, DNS, API, security, troubleshooting and command-line tools.stork.readthedocs.io · read 15 Oct 2026
- Generated clients
- The developer documentation describes generated Angular and Go API clients plus CRUD wrappers from Swagger definitions.stork.readthedocs.io · read 15 Oct 2026
- Grant funding
- ICANN awarded Internet Systems Consortium Inc. a $495,000 grant for open-source tools managing DHCP address assignments.icann.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Health monitoring
- It reports host CPU, memory, operating-system data, software versions and uptime for monitored servers and daemons.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- High availability
- It displays Kea high-availability relationships, roles and failover status.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
- Host reservations
- Administrators can add, update and view Kea host reservations through the GUI when the Host Commands hook is installed.isc.org · read 15 Oct 2026
The review
ISC Stork is a self-hosted, browser-based operations console for existing Kea DHCP deployments. It suits network administrators who need shared visibility into service health and address pools, plus selected configuration controls. The main trade-off is a capable free license against a deployment that requires PostgreSQL, agents, and careful adherence to Kea’s configuration model.
Overview
Stork puts Kea DHCP operations behind a web interface rather than replacing the DHCP service itself. It monitors DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pools, high-availability status, and the condition of hosts and daemons. With the required Kea hooks installed, it can also manage reservations, subnets, and pools, making it useful for day-to-day administration of a running Kea environment.
BIND coverage is intentionally narrower. Stork displays BIND configuration and DNS zone information, but cannot alter BIND configuration or other BIND data. DNS support is in its early stages, so teams wanting one mature console for both DHCP and DNS configuration should look elsewhere.
Key features
Operational monitoring
The console reports memory use, CPU utilization, software versions, and uptime for hosts and daemons. Combined with DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 pool utilization and high-availability status, those views help operators identify service failures, resource pressure, and shrinking address capacity. This is focused operational monitoring, not a general infrastructure-observability platform.
Kea administration
Reservation, subnet, and pool management can be performed through the GUI when the necessary Kea hooks are installed. That can reduce repetitive command-line work for teams already standardized on Kea. The important boundary is that Stork expects the running Kea configuration to remain the configuration of record; the Kea Configuration Backend hook is incompatible with Stork management. Organizations built around that backend should not treat Stork as a drop-in control plane.
Integrations and access control
Stork exports traffic activity data to Prometheus, which can then be visualized in Grafana. This is a practical route for teams that already use that monitoring stack, but it does not turn Stork into a replacement for Prometheus or Grafana. LDAP integration supports administrator authentication and authorization, making it more suitable for managed team access than a standalone local tool.
Security and communications
The Stork server communicates with agents over TLS-encrypted gRPC channels. ISC reports that an external audit found seven potential vulnerabilities and that all were fixed and verified in Stork 2.4.0. The audit assessed Stork against SLSA 0.1 and Level 1 criteria of SLSA 1.0. Those points support a considered production deployment, while operators remain responsible for maintaining the server, agents, and underlying database.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Stork open-source software | free | Open-source software available for free download |
| Professional support for Stork | Custom pricing | Support through a Kea/Stork support subscription; cost is based on deployment size and service level |
The free software plan is the natural fit for teams able to operate a self-hosted service and rely on community help. There are no paid software tiers described, so choosing the free plan does not impose a smaller feature edition; the cost is your own deployment and administration. ISC’s paid support is for organizations that need vendor assistance, with pricing determined by scale and service level rather than a published seat or usage schedule. Community help is available through the stork-users mailing list.
Platforms
Stork is on-premises software for Linux, macOS, and most Linux and Unix platforms, with a web interface. A deployment consists of a Stork server plus agents installed on application servers, and the server requires PostgreSQL. That architecture is appropriate for organizations comfortable maintaining server components and a database; it is not a hosted service you can activate without infrastructure work.
Who it's for
Choose Stork if you already run ISC Kea and want a central browser view of DHCP capacity, availability, and host health, with LDAP access control and Prometheus/Grafana integration. It is especially compelling for self-hosted network teams that value open-source software and can install the required hooks and agents.
Look elsewhere if you need BIND editing, a managed cloud offering, or compatibility with the Kea Configuration Backend hook. The multi-component architecture also makes it a poor fit for a small installation seeking a single lightweight DHCP utility.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free and open source: MPL 2.0 licensing permits free download without a paid software tier.
- Useful Kea coverage: DHCPv4/DHCPv6 pools, failover status, health metrics, and hook-enabled management address core operational tasks.
- Established monitoring connections: Prometheus export and Grafana visualization fit teams with that existing stack.
- Team authentication: LDAP integration supports centralized administrator authentication and authorization.
- Encrypted agent links: TLS-secured gRPC protects server-to-agent communications.
Cons
- Infrastructure overhead: You must run a Stork server, install agents, and provide PostgreSQL.
- Configuration constraint: The running Kea configuration must be authoritative, and the Kea Configuration Backend hook cannot be used with Stork management.
- Limited BIND control: BIND data is view-only, with DNS support still early.
- Support costs extra: Vendor assistance requires a paid subscription with custom pricing.
Alternatives
For a broader DHCP-management shortlist, see DHCP Management Software.
Subnetly is the better choice when you want a freemium service spanning API, iOS, Linux, web, and Windows, with a free monthly tier capped at 256 IPAM addresses, 10 subnets, two DHCP pools, one private DNS zone, one public DNS zone, and 100 DNS records.
Danbyte suits teams wanting fully open-source, self-hosted software with all features included, no seat license, no expiry, and no enterprise tier.
FluxDHCP is another free, AGPL-3.0-licensed self-hosted web option for Linux.
Jen Kea DHCP Management Console is worth considering when Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Docker deployment and ISC Kea with MySQL/MariaDB are acceptable requirements.
SagaOS Kea Pilot offers MIT-licensed software with no paid tiers or usage limits stated.
teemIP provides a free, open-source Community edition with web and self-hosted options.
DacatDHCP is a permanently free Windows tool for local IPv4 DHCP service.
Open DHCP Server is a Linux self-hosted freeware option supporting up to 125 DHCP ranges.
Verdict
ISC Stork is a strong choice for Kea operators who want free, open-source, centralized monitoring and selected DHCP administration in a web console. Choose it for its focused Kea visibility, integrations, and LDAP support; look elsewhere if you need BIND changes, Kea Configuration Backend compatibility, or a hosted deployment without PostgreSQL and agents.
