---
title: Network direction processor
description: Calculates the network direction given a source IP address, destination IP address, and a list of internal networks. The network direction processor reads...
url: https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/enrich-processor/network-direction-processor
products:
  - Elasticsearch
---

# Network direction processor
Calculates the network direction given a source IP address, destination IP address, and a list of internal networks.
The network direction processor reads IP addresses from [Elastic Common Schema (ECS)](https://www.elastic.co/docs/reference/ecs) fields by default. If you use the ECS, only the `internal_networks` option must be specified.


| Name                      | Required | Default             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|---------------------------|----------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `source_ip`               | no       | `source.ip`         | Field containing the source IP address.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `destination_ip`          | no       | `destination.ip`    | Field containing the destination IP address.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `target_field`            | no       | `network.direction` | Output field for the network direction.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `internal_networks`       | yes *    |                     | List of internal networks. Supports IPv4 andIPv6 addresses and ranges in CIDR notation. Also supports the named ranges listed below. These may be constructed with [template snippets](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/ingest-pipelines#template-snippets). * Must specify only one of `internal_networks` or `internal_networks_field`. |
| `internal_networks_field` | no       |                     | A field on the given document to read the `internal_networks` configuration from.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `ignore_missing`          | no       | `true`              | If `true` and any required fields are missing,the processor quietly exits without modifying the document.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| `description`             | no       | -                   | Description of the processor. Useful for describing the purpose of the processor or its configuration.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| `if`                      | no       | -                   | Conditionally execute the processor. See [Conditionally run a processor](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/ingest-pipelines#conditionally-run-processor).                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `ignore_failure`          | no       | `false`             | Ignore failures for the processor. See [Handling pipeline failures](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/ingest-pipelines#handling-pipeline-failures).                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `on_failure`              | no       | -                   | Handle failures for the processor. See [Handling pipeline failures](https://www.elastic.co/docs/manage-data/ingest/transform-enrich/ingest-pipelines#handling-pipeline-failures).                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `tag`                     | no       | -                   | Identifier for the processor. Useful for debugging and metrics.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |

One of either `internal_networks` or `internal_networks_field` must be specified. If `internal_networks_field` is specified, it follows the behavior specified by `ignore_missing`.

## Supported named network ranges

The named ranges supported for the `internal_networks` option are:
- `loopback` - Matches loopback addresses in the range of `127.0.0.0/8` or `::1/128`.
- `unicast` or `global_unicast` - Matches global unicast addresses defined in RFC 1122, RFC 4632, and RFC 4291 with the exception of the IPv4 broadcast address (`255.255.255.255`). This includes private address ranges.
- `multicast` - Matches multicast addresses.
- `interface_local_multicast` - Matches IPv6 interface-local multicast addresses.
- `link_local_unicast` - Matches link-local unicast addresses.
- `link_local_multicast` - Matches link-local multicast addresses.
- `private` - Matches private address ranges defined in RFC 1918 (IPv4) and RFC 4193 (IPv6).
- `public` - Matches addresses that are not loopback, unspecified, IPv4 broadcast, link local unicast, link local multicast, interface local multicast, or private.
- `unspecified` - Matches unspecified addresses (either the IPv4 address "0.0.0.0" or the IPv6 address "::").


## Examples

The following example illustrates the use of the network direction processor:
```json

{
  "pipeline": {
    "processors": [
      {
        "network_direction": {
          "internal_networks": ["private"]
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "docs": [
    {
      "_source": {
        "source": {
          "ip": "128.232.110.120"
        },
        "destination": {
          "ip": "192.168.1.1"
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```

Which produces the following result:
```json
{
  "docs": [
    {
      "doc": {
        ...
        "_source": {
          "destination": {
            "ip": "192.168.1.1"
          },
          "source": {
            "ip": "128.232.110.120"
          },
          "network": {
            "direction": "inbound"
          }
        }
      }
    }
  ]
}
```