Network
infrastructure control solutions provider Infoblox announced the release of
network infrastructure automation capabilities to help businesses accelerate
deployment of virtualization and cloud computing initiatives. Infoblox
automation features now available through Infoblox NetMRI offer infrastructure
automation and management visibility into the health, policy and compliance of
the network.
Features
include dynamic selection options to help configure in real time specific
devices matching unique profiles; matching profiles to specific devices
simplifies complex branch office provisioning to reduce truck rolls and expert
resource dependencies. Also included are automation sandbox and customizable
tools, combining several functions to help build sustainable and dynamic
workflow automation for more scalable network operations.
Additional
features include run book automation, which includes integration of embedded
expertise to help realize the potential of dynamic IT environments and automate
workflow; and a blacklist option that automatically identifies and quarantines
undesired devices, such as known stolen laptops, or triggers specific actions
such as VLAN isolation to help improve security and reduce risk.
“With
virtualization and cloud computing initiatives taking root, IT administrators
can provision virtual machines in minutes, but conforming the network to
support the VMs can take days because the tools and processes required to
perform the changes are still mostly manual and siloed,” said Zeus Kerravala,
senior vice president and distinguished research fellow at Yankee Group. “To
realize the full potential of virtualization and cloud initiatives, enterprises
simply must adopt more automated tools, ranging from IP address automation to
configuration management tools for both physical and virtual devices.”
With
these feature enhancements, among others, NetMRI can collect and analyze
configurations, identify policy violations, see the impact of change on network
health and remediate issues. These automation capabilities are realized through
a combination of Infoblox technologies, including NetMRI, Orchestration System
capabilities and Infoblox’s IP Address Management (IPAM) powered by the
company’s Grid technology.
The
network infrastructure automation functionality is now available with NetMRI
version 6.1, offered on a range of Infoblox physical and virtual appliance
platforms. Pricing for the NetMRI starts at $16,990 in the United States and
$20,390 in Europe and Asia Pacific.
“Virtualization
and cloud computing require a new approach to network infrastructure
management; if enterprises don’t embrace real-time automation, they will
inevitably hit roadblocks to accelerating these initiatives,” said Steve Nye,
Infoblox executive vice president of product strategy and corporate
development. “Leveraging our patented technologies and close collaboration with
our customers, which includes more than one third of the Fortune 500, Infoblox
is helping bridge this divide with critical network infrastructure functionality.”