Contact Information: Media Contacts: Jennifer Jasper Infoblox 408.625.4309
Infoblox Enhances Core Network Services (CNS) Platform
Highlights Include Enhanced IPAM, Upgrade Scheduling and Policies for Distributed RADIUS Authentication
| Source: Infoblox
SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - April 21, 2008) - Infoblox Inc. today announced enhancements
to its full line of core network services (CNS) appliances that provide
unparalleled management and network access policy enforcement advantages.
These enhancements support enterprise automation and network security
initiatives.
The resiliency and manageability of core network services -- including
domain name resolution (DNS), IP address assignment (DHCP), IP address
management (IPAM), authentication (RADIUS), configuration (FTP/TFTP/HTTP),
network time (NTP) and others -- directly impact the ability to operate all
applications, such as email, web services, Microsoft Active Directory,
Voice over IP (VoIP) and wireless.
Infoblox's appliance-based solutions, with the Company's unique NIOS™
operating system, provide enterprises a robust platform to ensure reliable
delivery and management of these essential core network services. To
further extend management capabilities by building more automated functions
into the solution, Infoblox's newest NIOS release, version 4.2r4, includes
numerous new features: object-level administrative provisioning to support
delegated management and meet compliance requirements; staged upgrades, to
fully automate and schedule upgrades across dozens or hundreds of
appliances; and enhancements to Infoblox's distributed RADIUS solution for
802.1x authentication, improving local survivability of network resources
for users in remote offices.
Automation Enhancements
The newest version of Infoblox's NIOS operating system includes
object-level permissions, which allow administrators to establish granular
control down to the data-object level to restrict those who can view or
modify data. For example, this enables delegation of administration to
helpdesk and end-user departments containing access only to the relevant
DNS zones, IP addresses, and other data objects for their respective
responsibilities.
Without assigning rights to the entire subnet, an administrator can easily
assign rights, such as "read/write" permissions, to specific objects such
as printers or VoIP phones. This also applies to DNS administration;
administrators can assign rights to a "child zone" while protecting the
configuration or content of "parent zones" for improved security and
confidentiality. This enforces "least privilege" principles, supports
audit and compliance initiatives, and allows delegation, while protecting
other objects against inadvertent changes.
Additionally, Infoblox NIOS software upgrades across grids -- collections
of Infoblox appliances linked together and managed as a unified system --
can now be staged according to geographical, divisional, or any such
demarcation across an extended enterprise. Distribution of the new
software from the grid master to member appliances can be scheduled to
minimize impact on bandwidth-sensitive applications, and cut-over from the
old software to the new software can be scheduled for individual appliances
and groups of appliances, to minimize or avoid downtime.
In addition to preventing critical pairs of devices, such as DHCP failover
pairs, from simultaneously being offline, this new staged upgrade feature
allows administrators to easily test an upgrade on a few grid members
before applying the upgrade grid-wide.
"Today's large enterprise IT departments require automated solutions to
meet the ever increasing demands for more applications, increasing numbers
of users and network access any time, any where," said Richard Kagan, vice
president of Marketing at Infoblox. "Infoblox's solutions and the newest
software enhancements help automate many of the core network services
related delivery and management functions, saving valuable time and
eliminating the errors often associated with manual operations."
Enhanced RADIUS Policies
Policy enhancements to the Infoblox distributed RADIUS solution allow
enterprises to apply policies associated with user name and group
information in Microsoft Active Directory (AD). The Infoblox Grid
Connector for Microsoft AD automatically syncs user and group information
from AD to the Infoblox grid master, which then distributes the data,
securely, to all member appliances in the grid, such as those deployed at
branch offices that support RADIUS authentication for secure wireless
access. By distributing this user and policy information to remote
offices, enterprise networks significantly improve local survivability and
ensure wired and wireless network access for remote users in the event of a
WAN outage. The RADIUS policies enable users to be assigned to a specific
VLAN based on their group membership, and vendor-specific parameters also
can be configured.
For example, an employee with a "sales" role can get access to a VLAN that
includes customer data, but can be restricted from access to finance
servers. In addition to supporting controlled access for guests and
contractors, this functionality is especially valuable in applications that
require 802.1x authentications, such as secure wireless LANs, and has
already been pre-tested with many leading wireless infrastructure vendors,
such as Aruba.
"Distributing RADIUS authentication services ensures the availability of
secure wireless access at remote sites, even when traditional VPN and WAN
gateway equipment fails," said Andrew Harding, Aruba's head of business
development. "By supporting Aruba Vendor Specific Attributes out of the
box, Infoblox enables customers to take full advantage of Aruba's unique
policy enforcement capabilities, enhancing mobility, security, and user
productivity. We are very pleased to work with Infoblox as an Aruba
Technology Alliance partner, and believe that our combined solution
addresses a key need in the market."
Pricing and Availability
The new Infoblox NIOS software version 4.2r4 is now available. Pricing for
the solution on the Infoblox-250 appliance starts at $2,495 in the U.S. It
is available free of charge for all current customers with a valid
maintenance contract.
About Infoblox
Infoblox appliances deliver utility-grade core network services, including
domain name resolution (DNS), IP address assignment and management
(IPAM/DHCP), authentication (RADIUS) and related services. Infoblox
solutions, which provide the essential "glue" between networks and
applications, are used by over 2,200 organizations worldwide, including
over 100 of the Fortune 500. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara,
Calif., and operates in more than 30 countries. For more information, call
+1.408.625.4200, email info@infoblox.com, or visit www.infoblox.com.