U.S. Department of Defense IT Organization Enhances Productivity and Security with Infoblox Solutions
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Infoblox 1410
- Infoblox IPAM
- Infoblox Extensible Attributes
Tech Stack
- VMware vCloud Automation Center
- VMware vCenter Orchestrator
- Microsoft Active Directory
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Productivity Improvements
- Digital Expertise
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Device Management Platforms
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance
Applicable Industries
- National Security & Defense
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Cybersecurity Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The customer is an IT organization within the U.S. Department of Defense, responsible for supporting mission-critical processing servers. The organization has embraced virtualization due to challenges in introducing new hardware into its data center, becoming a large VMware virtualization shop. This approach allows them to deploy new services more quickly using virtual rather than hardware appliances. The IT team operates in a complex environment, running both Windows and Linux, and requires a centralized management resource to handle its diverse needs. The organization has been an Infoblox customer for over five years, leveraging its solutions to enhance productivity and security compliance.
The Challenge
The IT organization within the U.S. Department of Defense faced several challenges in managing its mission-critical processing servers. The primary issues included the difficulty of deploying new hardware quickly, the need for unified DNS management, and the requirement for single sign-on and role-based access. The organization also aimed to lay the groundwork for an elastic private cloud. The existing environment was heterogeneous, running both Windows and Linux, and relied on disparate management tools like Microsoft MMC and multiple text files across servers running BIND, ISC, and DHCP. These tools were inadequate for tasks such as frequent global DNS name refreshes, leading to inefficiencies and errors from manual processes. The overarching concern was to improve efficiency, eliminate errors, and streamline operations, thereby increasing productivity.
The Solution
The IT organization implemented Infoblox solutions, including six Infoblox 1410 physical appliances and nine virtual ones, to manage DNS, DHCP, and IPAM in their production environment. They also utilized Infoblox adapters for VMware vCloud Automation Center and vCenter Orchestrator in a development lab. The decision to choose Infoblox over competitors like BlueCat Networks was based on its integration capabilities with Microsoft and the simplicity it offered in operations. Infoblox IPAM provided a centralized source for troubleshooting and new deployments, enhancing the organization's ability to manage its network efficiently. The solution also addressed security compliance by quickly addressing BIND vulnerabilities and simplifying Microsoft Patch Tuesday through automated patching. Infoblox's smaller attack surface and reporting capabilities facilitated faster compliance audits. Additionally, the organization creatively leveraged Infoblox Extensible Attributes to enhance security and manage DHCP information, which was previously restricted due to security vulnerabilities.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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