AixBOMS and DDI
DDI-Systeme werden für die Verwaltung von IP-Adressen, DNS und DHCP eingesetzt.
DDI tools are primarily used for updating DNS and DHCP server entries and for rolling out IP addresses. Modern tools can also gather information from networks („discovery function“) and display the current status of IP addresses. They help to define specifications for structuring logical networks and for defining and using subnets, network masks, hostnames, etc., and to track their implementation. The latest generation can handle both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
The weaknesses of DDI systems in a holistic management approach
In addition to the purely technical structure (addressing) of networks, geographical, organisational or technologically grouped characteristics, i.e. master data, are often required for management. Companies with a multinational context, numerous branches or subsidiaries, and providers in particular cannot do without these for mapping their individual circumstances. Furthermore, the allocation of IP addresses, address spaces or networks is part of general change management tasks, which, however, often has to be handled separately due to a lack of integration possibilities. Another common weakness is the lack of a graphical user interface. IPv6 addresses are 128-bit nomenclatures that are difficult to maintain via keyboard input, even in abbreviated notation.
Quels attributs DDI AixBOMS apporte-t-il?
With its networking module, AixBOMS provides the organisational framework for setting up network structures („Organisational Networks“). This allows for the creation and management of subnet structures, address pools, individual addresses, and hostnames of various types, with any level of complexity, via wizards and a GUI. DNS entries and DHCP pools can also be generated and updated by AixBOMS. The graphical interfaces and label conventions assist in handling technical content. The change management, based on the AixBOMS Workflow Engine, fully integrates the „address allocation“ sub-discipline into the overarching change processes for new acquisitions, relocation, changes in deployment, etc. .
The integration of DDI systems and AixBOMS
In many enterprise customer environments, DDI tools and custom scripts are already in use. AixBOMS simplifies their maintenance and structural management through its user-friendly GUI and powerful graphical editors. Networks, subnets, address ranges, individual addresses, hostnames, etc. are calculated en masse by the AixBOMS business logic or generated individually from the process call. After status assignment (e.g., „in service“, „installed“, „to be released“, etc.), the data is transferred to the DDI tool. In the reverse direction, AixBOMS is informed when an address is „alive“ or a fault has occurred. The AixBOMS REST.Networking module already has all the necessary query commands for reserving, creating, deploying, or deleting data.
