Features and Benefits

The NS1 package is available on all Infoblox appliance platforms.

The NS1 package delivers reliable, manageable, scalable, and secure core network services at a lower cost and with higher security than server-software and with greater network availability than any competing solution. The services included in the NS1 package include:
 

• Naming services via Domain Name System (DNS);
• Addressing services via Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP);
• Network visibility and control via IP address management (IPAM);
• Authentication, authorization, and accounting services via RADIUS;
• File delivery services via Trivial File Transfer Protocol and other services (FTP, HTTP, TFTP);
• Time synchronization services via Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Additional Benefits Include

High-availability Services
The NS1 package runs on the reliable Infoblox appliance platforms, which are designed for nonstop operation in high-performance networks. High-availability (HA) services are supported by bloxHA™ technology—which uses industry-standard Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) for sub 5-second network failover—and bloxSYNC™ technology to ensure real-time database synchronization with no loss or duplication of data. Together, these two technologies allow critical name server and DHCP 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
The NS1 package stores all DNS and DHCP data in the integrated bloxSDB™ database, which is built into the Infoblox NIOS™ operating system software provided on all Infoblox appliances. The bloxSDB database is designed specifically to support integrated core network services and provides unmatched consistency between service and management views of IP-address-centric network services data without compromising performance..

Easy-to-use GUI
The NS1 package includes the ID Device Manager that can be run from a PC running Windows XP, Vista or Linux OSes. The abstracted, data-centric interface streamlines complex and repetitive management operations and enables administrators to focus on data and services rather than boxes and protocols. This reduces management time and eliminates many common data entry errors. The Infoblox GUI can be locally installed on MS Windows devices.

Integrated Management
The NS1 package 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.

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.

Enhanced Security
The Infoblox NIOS software is hardened and consistently withstands security scans and attacks from the most demanding government and military organizations. The DNS and DHCP services provided by the NS1 package can be upgraded easily to support the latest versions of BIND and DHCP, ensuring minimum exposure to security threats. 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.

DNS Attack Detection and Mitigation
Infoblox provides the ability to detect, alert and mitigate any attacks against members that are configured as recursive DNS servers. The NIOS software will monitor two key parameters that are indicators of an attack: mis-matched DNS message IDs and mis-matched UDP ports on DNS responses. This happens when an attacker is guessing on those parameters to “spoof” a response with the poisoned data. The administrator can set a threshold for both parameters and when either is exceeded the system will send an email alert and/or SNMP trap (whichever is configured for the system). This feature will give administrators an early warning that one of their servers is under attack.

In addition, Infoblox NIOS allows attack mitigation by implementing query rate-limiting. The administrator can implement a filter on a specific IP or network to limit or stop all traffic. This will slow down or stop the attack, the success of which is based on the attacker’s ability to try as many response “guesses” as possible before the legitimate DNS server can respond.

Scalable, Integrated Managemant

	Manage appliances, services, and data using the ID Device Manager.

The flexible Infoblox Device Manager user interface provides the visibility and control needed to manage all core network services in dynamic IP networks. The Device Manager simplifies the management of the appliance, services, and data—and provides summary and drill-down views with a simple click. Granular, role-based management capabilities enable administrators to delegate specific networks, ranges, hosts, and devices to junior or departmental personnel. The Infoblox Device Manager makes it easy to cope with fast-changing networks, and because all data reside in the Infoblox appliance database, the status of devices and services shown in the Device Manager always reflects the actual, real-time state of
the network.

Nonstop Infrastructure for Critical Network Solutions

Infoblox network services appliances include a range of special capabilities that serve key network applications:

The Infoblox Network Services for Authentication (NSA) package provides reliable, and highly available policy-based authentication services for network devices and users. By merging standards-based RADIUS authentication services with Infoblox grid technology, extended enterprises now have the ability to distribute reliable, secure, nonstop authentication services throughout their organizations easily using Infoblox appliances.
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A Foundation for Network Access Control (NAC)
The Infoblox NAC Foundation module—included in the Infoblox NIOS software—provides intelligent, policy-based control over Infoblox’s DHCP services and, as such, provides a foundation for a wide variety of NAC solutions using components from multiple vendors. It also provides basic NAC functionality, such as guest access and network quarantine out of the box. The NAC Foundation module—which includes a captive Web portal for user and guest registration—interfaces with third-party authentication and endpoint policy assessment systems, and contains a built-in policy engine. It is fully integrated with the other Infoblox NIOS software modules as well as Infoblox grid technology, benefiting from the native grid benefits, including central administration and high-availability failover.
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Voice over IP
Users demand dial-tone reliability for voice communications. To deliver this level of reliability in an IP environment requires a nonstop DHCP service for assigning IP addresses to voice-over-IP handsets and IP soft phones, as well as file delivery services for providing updated phone firmware and configurations. The NS1 package delivers a combination of features that provides an easy-to-manage, high-availability solution for IP voice applications:

High-availability DHCP. Infoblox supports industry-standard DHCP failover that works across distributed WANs. In addition, pairs of Infoblox appliances can be easily configured in “HA mode” to provide fast failover and real-time data synchronization without requiring inefficient allocation of IP addresses.

Built-in TFTP, FTP and HTTP file transfer. Historically, TFTP, FTP and HTTP has been provided by stand-alone servers managed individually at each location with no centralized control and no high-availability capabilities. The NS1 package extends the benefits of network services appliances to managing IP telephony by providing a reliable, easy-to-manage TFTP, FTP and HTTP service. Firmware and configuration files are uploaded to the appliance and served to IP phones when they boot up. Added reliability, expected in a telephony environment, can be provided using an HA pair of appliances to provide reliable TFTP services.
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Reliable DNS Infrastructure for Microsoft Active Directory (AD)
Infoblox is a Microsoft Certified Partner and the Infoblox NS1 package includes special support for easy integration into Microsoft AD environments. This enables enterprises to ensure that the critical DNS services needed for their Microsoft and non-Microsoft applications are always available and secure.
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