The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager is a suite of TCP/IP management applications that manage domain names and synchronize IP addresses between a Domain Name System (DNS) server and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager includes the Domain Name Manager - a graphical DNS management tool - and a DHCP server that dynamically updates DNS with IP addresses assigned to DHCP clients. The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager also includes a DNS server, TFTP server, NTP server, and a syslog server.
Managing a large TCP/IP network requires maintaining accurate and up-to-date IP address and domain name information. Today, organizations are forced to manage IP address and domain name information by manually modifying several databases. Organizations maintain IP address and domain name information in DNS servers` text-based configuration files. DHCP servers further complicate the situation by dynamically assigning domain names and IP addressees to nodes on the network. Organizations are therefore forced to manually synchronize the configuration of DNS and DHCP servers. Incorrect IP addresses and domain names can cause problems for people using the World Wide Web, a network file system (NFS), FTP, and e-mail. The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager eliminates the need for manually configuring and synchronizing DNS and DHCP servers.
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Managing DNS
Organizations currently manage DNS by editing configuration files that have a complex syntax. This process is time-consuming and subject to error. The Domain Name Manager browser reduces common configuration errors by checking the syntax of each new entry. The Domain Name Manager is easy to learn, and more people in an organization can use it to manage DNS.
The Cisco DHCP server automatically updates the Domain Name Manager with the IP address and domain name of the new nodes on the network. The Domain Name Manager then propagates this information to DNS servers on the network.
The Domain Name Manager replaces an organization`s existing primary DNS server and becomes the source of DNS information for the entire network.
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DHCP in a switched network
The Cisco DHCP server allows organizations to use DHCP in a large switched network. The depletion of IP addresses on the Internet has forced organizations to use classless interdomain routing (CIDR) blocks or groups of Class C network numbers to build physical networks with more than 256 nodes. This has created a problem for network administrators who want to use DHCP on large switched networks with more than 256 nodes.
Organizations building large switched networks with TCP/IP assign multiple logical IP networks on a single physical switched network. At the same time, organizations want to take advantage of DHCP to dynamically configure a large number of PCs on their network. The Cisco DHCP server supports address pools that contain multiple logical networks on the same physical network.
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TCP/IP servers for Windows NT
The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager has a complete range of TCP/IP services used to build and maintain a TCP/IP network. The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager provides a DNS server for name service, an NTP server for time synchronization, TFTP to load binary images and configuration files to network devices (including Cisco routers and switches), and a syslog server for logging error messages from network devices over the network. All of these services are easily configured with a graphical user interface.
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DNS easier to manage
Today DNS is managed by editing text files on a UNIX system. The syntax of the text files, known as zone files, is cumbersome and prone to errors, and most organizations have one person who has spent months becoming the DNS expert.
The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager has a graphical DNS management tool that eliminates the need to edit zone files. All entries in the DNS are checked for proper syntax and duplicate IP addresses, and PTR records for the "reverse lookup" are automatically generated. Because a graphical user interface is used, administrators learn DNS management quickly.
The DNS Manager automatically tracks IP addresses allocated in the network. When adding new nodes to DNS, the DNS Manager searches for the next available IP address and assigns it to the new node.
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Improved security and reliability
Many TCP/IP services — the World Wide Web, NFS, RLOGIN, and FTP - use information in DNS to verify that incoming connections are from a legitimate computer. If both an A record and a PTR record are registered for the incoming client, the server assumes that a responsible network administrator has assigned this name and address. If the information in the DNS is incomplete or missing, many servers will reject connections from the client.
When adding a new node to DNS, the Cisco Domain Name Manager automatically adds the PTR record. The PTR record is the mapping between an IP address and a DNS name and is also known as reverse mapping. Forgetting to add the PTR record is one of the most common mistakes when managing a DNS server.
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TCP/IP network easier to configure
The DHCP protocol allows managers to add new nodes to a network without statically defining IP addresses for every node. Nodes, particularly PCs, use the DHCP protocol to dynamically get configuration information, including the IP address, domain name, default router, and subnet mask, from a DHCP server.
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Dynamic updates to DNS
The Cisco DHCP server dynamically updates DNS with the domain name and the IP address allocated to the DHCP client.
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DHCP server in a switched network
Today, many organizations are building large, flat networks with switching and routing technology. This has caused problems with the deployment of DHCP and the use of multiple logical networks on the same physical network. The Cisco DHCP server can combine pools of IP addresses from multiple networks into a single large pool of addresses. The DHCP server also supports BOOTP to enable you to manage BOOTP and DHCP from one server.
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Enhanced TCP/IP services for Windows NT and UNIX
The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager ships additional network services that efficiently maintain a TCP/IP network:
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A DNS server for name service
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NTP for times synchronization
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TFTP to load binary images and configuration files to network devices including routers
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A syslog server to log error messages from network devices over the network
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All of these services are configured with an easy-to-use graphical user interface
