Infoblox solutions rely upon two core underlying technologies: the embedded Infoblox NIOS™ software and our patented Grid technology.

Infoblox NIOS software, running on Infoblox appliances, delivers nonstop core network services—including DNS, DHCP, IPAM, RADIUS, HTTP, FTP, TFTP, NTP and others—that are critical to the operation of all IP-based networks. Appliance delivery of these services has become a recommended industry best practice for any size organization, because appliances are inherently more reliable, manageable, scalable, and secure than software on general-purpose servers. For large organizations, distributed Infoblox appliances can be connected into unified Grids that provide unparalleled management, control, visibility, and service resiliency.

Infoblox NIOS software is a security-hardened, real-time operating system that includes a built-in, zero-administration database, extensive support for high-availability operation, and comprehensive capabilities that automate appliance deployment and maintenance and simplify data management. Infoblox NIOS supports a series of modules provide a range of network services, including:

• Naming services via Domain Name System (DNS);
• Addressing services via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP);
• Network visibility and control via IP address management (IPAM);
• Network access control services via the NAC Foundation module and captive portal;
• Authentication services (RADIUS);
• File delivery services via File Transfer Protocol (TFTP), FTP and HTTP;
• Time synchronization services via Network Time Protocol (NTP);
• Logging services via Syslog

Infoblox NIOS software also supports several additional modules that provide unique capabilities:

• The Grid module which provides patented Infoblox technology for linking distributed appliances into an Infoblox Grid: unified, centrally managed system of appliances sharing a common, real-time distributed database. The Infoblox Grid uses a secure SSL-based VPN among appliances and also uses sophisticated transaction management technology to maintain data integrity. This ensures that all appliances in the Grid have the timely and accurate data and that the Grid continues to deliver services without data loss or corruption in the face of device or WAN failures. Infoblox Grid technology also supports intelligent data replication to minimize the use of bandwidth in the Grid and to enable “right-sized” appliances to be deployed at each location.
• The integration module for Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP® extends the benefits of Infoblox appliances and Grid technology to Alcatel-Lucent VitalQIP® Remote Server software.

The Infoblox NIOS software in every Infoblox appliance includes a powerful API that enables external applications to interact with appliance services and applications. Via the API, third-party applications can import data from existing DNS and DHCP systems, read and modify the data in the Infoblox appliance bloxSDB database, perform administrative functions, and export data for archiving and reporting.

Features and Benefits

High-availability Services: High-availability (HA) services are supported by bloxHA™ technology, which uses industry-standard Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) for sub-5-second network failover between active and backup appliances, and bloxSYNC™ technology to ensure real-time database synchronization with no loss or duplication of data. Together, these two technologies allow critical DNS, DHCP, RADIUS, TFTP, and other services to always remain responsive and up to-date and eliminate common but challenging problems such as issuing duplicate IP addresses.

Integrated, Zero-admin Database: Infoblox NIOS software stores all network data—including IP addresses, host names, MAC addresses, user credentials, and other data—in the integrated bloxSDB database, which is designed specifically to support integrated network services and provides unmatched consistency between service and management views of IP network data without compromising performance. The Infoblox Grid Manager application unifies the management of all services, devices, and data.

Easy-to-use GUI: Infoblox NIOS software includes the Infoblox Grid Manager that can be run from any PC running Windows 2000/XP or Linux. The data-centric interface streamlines complex and repetitive management operations and enables administrators to focus on data and services rather than boxes and protocols. New features, including fine-grained change management via DNS zone locking and the ability to “undo” accidental deletions of large DNS zones and DHCP networks via a recycle bin, further enhance usability and power. This reduces management time and eliminates many common data entry errors.

Integrated Management: Infoblox NIOS software provides practical operational efficiencies that lower total cost of ownership. For example, creating a DHCP range automatically creates an associated DNS record, reducing the number of tasks required of network administrators. User credentials are automatically distributed to appliances in the Grid that are providing RADIUS services and one certificate can be shared by all of the appliances serving RADIUS. Files can be uploaded to the Grid master and automatically distributed to all appliances serving files via FTP, TFTP and HTTP. All of these features save time and improve service delivery.

Granular, Role-based Administration: Role-based administration is a powerful way to ensure that administrators are only given access to view and modify specific core network services attributes consistent with their organizational and functional role. For example, this means that a senior DNS administrator could have the ability to define new domains and add new appliances to a Grid, while a help desk administrator might only have the ability to view specific subnets and issue IP addresses to new devices by picking from a pre-defined list. Infoblox has created a very scalable, yet very granular role-based administration framework. The framework provides customers the ability to delegate administration down to the object level and yet maintain permissions for a large, complex administration model. Some specifics include:

• Easy workflow to manage permissions:The administrator can quickly set permissions by right-clicking on any object to bring up a list of permissions. This is much easier than having to switch to a separate administration panel. It also provides a comprehensive list of which permissions have been granted to each administration group.
• Administration is also eased through the use of roles: Roles can be mapped to an organization or job (e.g., Printer Admins, DNS Admins) and then roles can be assigned to administrative groups. This abstraction model allows a set of permissions to be defined once such that any changes to the role are inherited by all groups that are associated with it.

Security Hardened: Infoblox NIOS software is hardened and consistently withstands security scans and attacks from the most demanding government and military organizations. In the event that a new exploit is discovered, the underlying Infoblox NIOS software can be upgraded in minutes via a single, simple operation. This makes it much more difficult to penetrate than general-purpose operating systems with known vulnerabilities. Management communication is secured using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)-encrypted VPNs for protection against management compromise.



Extensibility and Customization: The bloxTools™ environment (available on NIOS software) is a way for customers to develop, deploy and support customized, web-based applications that extend the power of the Infoblox Grid. Based on powerful and popular Web 2.0 technologies and leveraging the power of Web communities, the bloxTools environment unleashes the full power and potential of the Infoblox NIOS platform and the creativity of our customers and partners. bloxTools provides customers the ability to develop light-weight, custom applications (SNAPins) to meet unique workflow and other requirements, and to support integration with other enterprise applications such as asset management, CRM, ERP, etc. Other CNS products have achieved this through complex interfaces that require significant initial and ongoing Professional Services engagements to create, customize and maintain them. The open, community-based model for publishing and supporting SNAPins harnesses the collective power of Infoblox’s thousands of customers worldwide.

Infoblox NIOS Modules and Packages

Infoblox software packages combine NIOS software modules to address different customer needs, as shown in the table below. All packages are available on all Infoblox models, except where noted.