When you’re running a network that absolutely, positively cannot go down, it’s natural to be skeptical of change. That’s especially true for the tools you use to manage critical DNS, DHCP and IP address management (DDI) services that keep your networks and business online. Maybe you’re part of a government agency with stringent compliance requirements. Maybe you’re with a service provider, with millions of subscribers depending on your infrastructure. Or maybe you’ve stuck with older tools because it just didn’t seem worth the hassle to try something new.
If any of those scenarios sound familiar, here’s some exciting news: Infoblox just released the latest version of our flagship Network Identity Operating System (NIOS), NIOS 9.0.7. It’s the first release in the NIOS 9.X train to be submitted for Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)/Common Criteria (CC) validation. And it means the most advanced enterprise-grade DDI capabilities are now available to everyone—including government organizations with stringent compliance requirements.
What’s New in NIOS 9.0.7?
NIOS 9.0.7 augments Infoblox’s industry-leading DDI solution with new security and performance enhancements for service providers, new partner integrations and a smoother, simpler upgrade experience—all in a solution submitted for FIPS validation.
Industry-Leading Network Visibility and Control for Government Organizations
Federal agencies using earlier NIOS versions can now access the latest NIOS features and user experience in a solution that supports FIPS/CC-mode operation. They get industry-leading network visibility and control in a product that’s 1.5 times faster, 3 times simpler (with just 17 SKUs compared to 50) and includes more than 100 new features and enhancements compared to NIOS 8.X.
Other enhancements include:
- Deeper Multi-Grid Manager (MGM) Visibility: Among the most popular features in the NIOS 9.X train is the ability to manage NIOS Grids from anywhere via the Infoblox Portal—a capability first introduced in NIOS 9.0.5. NIOS 9.0.7 brings this capability to federal agencies while adding deeper MGM visibility to simplify management and compliance. In addition to IPAM and network information, NetOps teams can now see down to the level of sub-grid DNS zones and resource records, DHCP reservations, IP addresses and other objects, gaining comprehensive details for their entire environment in one place.
- Expanded Encryption Support for Network Time Protocol (NTP): NIOS 9.0.7 supports a wide range of FIPS-approved secure hash algorithms (SHAs) for encrypting NTP traffic to comply with FIPS/CC cybersecurity requirements.
Reimagined Software Maintenance with Long-Term Support Program
Earlier this year, Infoblox reimagined the NIOS software maintenance experience, making upgrades simpler, smoother and more predictable. NIOS 9.0.6 introduced the Long-Term Support (LTS) Program, which replaces consolidated hotfix (CHF) updates and guarantees a longer, two-year support life for LTS versions from the time they’re released.
NIOS 9.0.7 extends these benefits to government agencies required to use FIPS-validated software and others using earlier NIOS versions. When you upgrade to NIOS 9.0.7, extended support means you can continue using that release for longer, with fewer major upgrades. You’ll also have the same consistent experience for all NIOS updates, using an improved interface that provides deeper visibility while minimizing errors.
New DNS Resource Records, High Performance at Scale for Service Providers
NIOS 9.0.7 also includes enhancements to optimize performance and efficiency in large-scale service provider environments. Highlights include:
- Support for SVCB and HTTPS Resource Records: Service providers and other large network operators can take advantage of a new DNS record type, Service Binding (SVCB) and HTTPS DNS resource records, to boost performance of websites using HTTP/3 and DNS-over-TLS (DoT) or DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) encryption. Previously, such websites could add significant latency as browsers negotiated with the site to determine which services were supported. Now, DNS records can advertise available HTTP/3 and DoT/DoH services on the network and even drive users to them automatically, reducing latency and improving subscriber experiences.
- Expanded Visibility and Reporting for Encrypted DNS Queries: NIOS 9.0.7 expands reporting and logging for service providers and others using DoT or DoH DNS encryption, simplifying audits and compliance.
- Reduced Memory Consumption for Response Policy Zone (RPZ) Feeds: Infoblox provides powerful DNS-based defenses to help businesses protect their networks, using RPZ threat intelligence feeds from services like Infoblox Threat Defense™. With NIOS 9.0.7, we’ve optimized RPZ memory consumption in NIOS platforms. Now, even smaller appliances can support millions more threat intelligence records, strengthening security posture with the same hardware.
- Virtual DNS Cache Acceleration with Differentiated Services Code Point (vDCA DSCP): NIOS can now automatically tag DNS queries for accelerated handling in service provider networks—reducing operational complexity for service providers while improving quality for subscribers.
NIOS 9.0.7 also adds support for:
- Intel 810 Network Interface Cards for service providers using Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)
- TACACS+ authentication over IPv6, as well as IPv4
- OpenShift 4.18
vNIOS X6 Series Cloud Platform Updates
Last but not least, we’ve released updated specifications for using smaller vNIOS instance sizes in AWS, Microsoft Azure, VMware and now, Google Cloud. NIOS 9.0.7 is now qualified on new Google Cloud N4 instances designed for flexibility and cost optimization. Customers can right-size their cloud spend without sacrificing performance.
Move Up to Enterprise-Grade DDI
Change doesn’t have to be stressful, even for those running mission-critical regulated network environments. If you’re using an older NIOS version—or still supporting critical network services with “freeware” tools—there’s never been a better time to upgrade to the latest NIOS. You’ll get the most advanced enterprise-grade DDI capabilities in a product that’s 1.5 times faster, three times simpler and includes more than 100 new enhancements compared to 8.X versions.
For more details, visit the NIOS 9.X and Hybrid, Multi-Cloud microsites on Infoblox.com. You can also contact your preferred technology partner or account team, or access the Infoblox DDI Product Evaluation Portal for a free 60-day trial to start your journey toward a more reliable, secure and automated hybrid, multi-cloud network.
