I did not expect quite such a spirited sub-discussion about the Infoblox appliances, but at the risk of being off topic (given that this is a bind list), I'll offer a little more on my experiences using them. My thoughts may also help to answer Paul's question about how bind and dhcpd can be improved.
The fundamental reasons that I chose to use Infoblox in this application were the need for a bullet proof GUI with logging and fine grained access control for less experienced admins to use when making DNS and DHCP changes, and the integrated database underneath BOTH bind and dhcpd. The need for the bullet proof GUI and appliance style deployment seems to be the original question that sparked this conversation, but to me the fact that Infoblox has implemented these features on top of an integrated, distributed database with a full-featured API to talk to it is the key differentiator between Infoblox and other bind integrators. This in my opinion represents an architectural enhancement to bind and dhcpd. A significant side benefit of the integrated database is the IP network and address management that comes along for the ride. For all the good that I see in the Infoblox way of doing things, they are far from perfect. For those who see that it is an ISC bind/dhcpd based appliance and therefore expect to simply import the config and data files without a hitch, well, you're in for a bit of a hurdle. Infoblox has chosen to bolt the two protocol engines on top of their own database which means that they don't use the same config/data files as the original protocol engines. I was (and still am) a bit frustrated by this, but it makes sense to me: their view of the world is different, therefore the way I need to feed them data is also different. The current Infoblox java import tool is a good first step, but doesn't always get it right. Once I run data through the import tool, I sometimes have to make additional modifications using the API or the GUI to get things set the way I want them. This is a hassle, and I know that Infoblox continues to be open to customers who have suggestions for enhancements. However, once the data is imported, it has been a rock solid and easy to manage environment. --Larry -- Larry Fahnoe, Fahnoe Technology Consulting, [EMAIL PROTECTED] 952/925-0744 Minneapolis, Minnesota www.FahnoeTech.com
