As “around-the-clock” business continuity becomes increasingly critical, organizations need to consider the importance of core network services to the continuous availability and, in the event of a disaster, recovery of every application on the network.

Core network services—IP address assignment and management (DHCP and IPAM), name resolution (DNS), and authentication and authorization (RADIUS), among others—provide the essential glue between the network infrastructure (routers, switches, etc.) and all IP-based applications, such as e-mail, web, ERP, IP telephony, and more. If core network services systems don’t work, the network and applications don’t work.

Additionally, the ability to quickly and easily modify and reconfigure core network services systems, such as DNS, provides critical flexibility for daily management and mitigation of the effects of localized or widespread network or system failures.

Disruption of core network services and sub-par management tools can compromise:

• Availability of key business applications
• Timely and accurate network recovery in the event of disaster
• Network security
• User/Customer satisfaction
• Company reputation
• Company bottom-line

Repercussions like these merit deployment of a “utility-grade” core network services infrastructure that is reliable, secure, manageable, and allows quick and easy disaster recovery. However, evidence indicates that most organizations don’t apply sufficient attention and investment in these systems, and thereby compromise their ability to achieve business continuity and quick and easy disaster recovery (DR).

Inadequacies of Conventional Core Network Services Infrastructure
Resiliency, security, and management shortcomings in conventional core network services solutions (i.e., general-purpose servers, OSes, and freeware) can unexpectedly disrupt core network services and the applications that depend upon them. And, in the event of a disaster, where the end goal by most enterprises today is recovery as soon as possible, conventional solutions offer little in the way of turnkey core network service availability and management capabilities. Specific concerns with alternative solutions include:

• Require experts to maintain, consuming IT resources and incurring recovery delays
• Require significant capital and operational investment to achieve any resiliency/HA
• Require additional backup systems/databases for DR
• Convoluted DR failover process, often requiring multiple resources and processes
• Difficult to frequently test
• Complicated and lengthy back-up cycles can create outages due to lost changes
• File-based operations and periodic data snapshots cannot assure data integrity/recovery for accurate compliance reporting
• Shared ownership and accountability between networking and administrative teams can create barriers to quick recovery and deployment of necessary back-up systems

These inadequacies are not easily overcome using band-aids applied to existing systems, such as overlay management and data back-up systems. To provide nonstop core network services and clean and seamless recovery in minutes, enterprises need to consider a next-generation approach to delivering and managing core network service infrastructure.

Infoblox Solutions Offer Unparalleled Advantages

to Achieve Business Continuity and Quick DR

Appliances Deliver High-availability Services and Secure Infrastructure
The Infoblox solution is based on purpose-built, hardened appliance platforms that are designed for nonstop operation in high-performance networks. High availability (HA) is provided between appliances using industry-standard Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) for sub 5-second network failover.

Additionally, using appliances simplifies organization overlaps and allows the networking team to “own” core network services infrastructure and management responsibilities, which can simplify and speed recovery.

Grid Technology Ensures Local Survivability and Centralized Management
Infoblox’s grid technology links appliances at central and remote offices into a unified, distributed system that is resilient to network and equipment failures and assures continuous uptime. As a result, core network services can be delivered locally, yet centrally managed to achieve a highly available environment.

A “grid master” is the seat of administration for the grid and contains the complete database of all data and configuration across all “member” appliances. “Grid members” are appliances that provide network services to users and devices, typically at remote locations, and are managed by the “grid master." Any disruption among grid members is detected and mitigated using services from other appliances in the grid.

For example, if the DNS/DHCP appliance at a branch office fails, it can be replaced with a new device, powered on by any member of the local staff. The device will configure itself and synchronize with the network database within minutes, without manual intervention. The branch office can be operational again within minutes, rather than the hours or days it can take with legacy technology. Or, in the event of a WAN link failure to a site or appliance, the configuration and data will be updated automatically when the link is restored.

Further, grid members can be configured to take over as the grid master if needed, such as in a disaster recovery event. With designated Infoblox appliance grid members at a DR site, enterprises can resume services and management of those services in minutes by promoting the DR site member appliance(s) to serve as grid masters. Other grid members throughout the organization will automatically “re-home” to newly designated DR site master appliances. They will be automatically updated with the data necessary to immediately respond to DNS queries, allocate DHCP leases, etc., without error. Unlike conventional systems, this process can be easily and frequently tested to ensure DR measures are error-free and foolproof.

Unique Database Approach Provides Error-Free Recovery
Managing DNS records, DHCP leases/IP addresses can be a challenge in large-scale distributed environments, especially across WAN links. Infoblox solves this problem with its custom-built, distributed database that automatically replicates in real-time all core network services data—including DNS, DHCP and IPAM, as well as RADIUS, TFTP, and NTP—across the Infoblox appliances in a grid.

By leveraging unique database and grid technologies on purpose-built appliance platforms, Infoblox delivers the only utility-grade core network services infrastructure designed to achieve business continuity and quick, easy and accurate disaster recovery.

To learn more about implementing resilient Infoblox core network services solutions, contact us at info@infoblox.com or call +1-408-625-4200.