EfficientIP & Extreme Networks Integration: Strengthening Visibility, Automation and Security

EfficientIP SOLIDserver DNS-DHCP-IPAM (DDI) integrates with Extreme Networks ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine (XIQ SE), sharing data and leveraging the capabilities and advantages of both solutions.

The integration unifies any networks for improved visibility. It simplifies IT and resource management and enhances network access control, compliance, and threat detection.

Efficient management of IT networks is becoming extremely challenging

Dispersed networks and devices can challenge visibility over modern hybrid environments, making it harder for IT teams to monitor and manage everything.

Meanwhile, device proliferation continues, increasing IT complexity and making end-to-end lifecycle management unwieldy. The resources required to provision and configure devices grow. Manual provisioning is fraught with human error.

In addition, security risks keep growing and security analysts tire of responding to multiplying cyber threats.

SOLIDserver DDI and ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine

EfficientIP SOLIDserver DDI allows networking teams to manage all aspects of their DNS, DHCP, and IPAM services. From a single pane of glass, management of applications and infrastructure lifecycles can be simplified and automated end-to-end, while ensuring network security and resilience.

ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine provides end-to-end secure network management for LAN, Wireless, Network Access Control (NAC), applications, and any third party network devices as well as real-time analytics and visibility from a centralized dashboard.

Both EfficientIP SOLIDserver and Extreme Networks XIQ SE come with Open APIs, enabling easy integration of both solutions and data to be exchanged back and forth to bring additional value to networking teams.

The value brought

In a nutshell, integrating SOLIDserver and ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine offers IT teams the ability to easily see shared and consolidated data and insights into any network devices, automate provisioning and orchestrate the deployment of network objects as well as secure networks by quickly detecting infected devices.

Example Use Cases

Potential use cases cover visibility, automation, and security:

1. Visibility of connected devices 

The integration enables IPAM and Site Engine to share data and metadata from devices and networks, including device location, status, and access control.

The EfficientIP SOLIDserver DDI integration with ExtremeCloud XIQ SE provides a merged view of devices and user login information, including switch and port connections inside IPAM via the EfficientIP console.

2. End-to-end network automation and lifecycle management

The SOLIDserver DDI and XIQ SE integration provisions services and network environments automatically. The SOLIDserver DDI API stack links the infrastructure and device management ecosystem for IP-based orchestration and automation.

Creating new networks pushes the incumbent static IP addresses to XIQ SE groups to autoconfigure network devices.

The integration ensures that EfficientIP IPAM automatically adds devices to XIQ SE. The process assigns the MAC address to the right group. Simply add the device, device IP, MAC address, and Device Name in IPAM and it becomes visible in XIQ SE.

Automation trims network management errors and frees network administrators to focus on their core duties.

3. Strengthened Security

EfficientIP DNS Guardian’s adaptive DNS security protection and real-time behavior analysis thwarts DNS threats. DNS Guardian detects DNS attacks, applies internal remediation, and alerts XIQ SE .

When DNS Guardian detects malicious infected devices sending multiple DNS requests, it shares the pertinent log data with XIQ SE. XIQ SE then immediately disconnects and quarantines the networking device.

So what are the benefits obtained?

Integrating SOLIDserver DDI with ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine brings the following benefits:

1. Improved visibility:  by looking into changing environments and proliferating applications and devices in a merged network view, IPAM is enriched with  up-to-date, insightful contextual data forming a Network Source of Truth (NSoT). Organizations are able to also discover and confirm devices in the EfficientIP IPAM repository.

2. Increased operational efficiency:  resource requirements for end-to-end device lifecycle management is lowered. Processes from provisioning to decommissioning are streamlined, thus reducing human errors and saving time regardless of device proliferation.

3. Compliance control: the integrated solution ensures accurate risk assessments in case of network changes. IPAM sends notifications of new device registration, adding devices to Access Control Lists (ACL) and groups, including security groups.

1. Hardened security: by protecting the network and extending the attack detection range, remediation is accelerated, with infected devices being identified and disconnected.

SOLIDserver DDI and ExtremeCloud IQ – Site Engine integration is an illustration of the value unlocked by the use of Open APIs. It enhances business agility, increasing visibility, security, and accelerating network automation across the ecosystem so businesses can rapidly respond to changing needs and market demands. Wish to learn more, engage with our teams to request a demonstration.