Adding global server load balancing to enterprise-grade DNS appliances

Infoblox is the leader in enterprise-grade solutions for managing the Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses - the category known as DDI. DNS is the address book of the Internet, translating domain destinations such as www.infoblox.com into machine-readable IP addresses such as 172.23.18.20. DNS is critical Internet technology, and networks are at risk without DNS that is reliable, manageable, and secure.

Global server load balancing (GSLB) is technology that monitors network traffic moving into and through organisations, then routes that traffic to servers and data centres that are best-positioned to respond. GSLB can significantly enhance network response times and availability by distributing traffic among different servers based on server load, server health, and geographical proximity to the user.

Until now, GSLB has typically required dedicated appliances that are costly, require extra effort to manage, and offer more features than many organisations need.

Infoblox DNS Traffic Control is available now as a fully-integrated software option to the Infoblox DDI product line, providing the following capabilities:

· Integrated DNS-based traffic control. Acting as the authoritative DNS appliance, Infoblox DNS Traffic Control uses the DNS query/response mechanism to automatically return the IP address of the ideal server. Traffic is intelligently directed based on server health, availability, and geo-location to balance loads across servers and data centres. Network administrators can also pre-define customised load-balancing rules based on factors such as ratio, round-robin distribution, and network topology.
· Unified management. Using patented Infoblox Grid™ technology, all DDI and GSLB functions are managed from a single console globally - delivering ease of use and significantly reduced management effort compared to multivendor deployments.
· One less box in the datacentre. By adding DNS traffic control functionality to an Infoblox DDI appliance, customers have an alternative to purchasing dedicated GSLB appliances that are expensive and hard to manage.
· Disaster recovery. Infoblox DNS Traffic Control can perform automatic server health checks in order to route traffic around servers that are unresponsive or overwhelmed.
· Troubleshooting and optimisation. Built-in reports on server utilisation and response time provide easily accessible information for administrators to optimise network performance and troubleshoot network problems.

In short, this integrated solution enables IT organisations to reduce capital expense, operating costs, and network complexity. Infoblox is also a leader in secure DNS, with its Infoblox DNS Firewall and Infoblox Advanced DNS Protection appliances, making Infoblox a one-stop shop for best-in-class DNS infrastructure.

“Because we’re the leading provider of enterprise-grade DDI solutions, adding DNS-based traffic control is a natural next step for Infoblox in making networks easier and less expensive to manage and protect,” said Arya Barirani, vice president of product marketing at Infoblox. “Infoblox customers can now run their critical DNS services and DNS-based traffic management from one console, saving money and reducing management overhead.”