Configuring Infoblox/NIOS Grid Master

Configuring Infoblox/NIOS Grid Master

Will see Configuring Infoblox/NIOS Grid Master in this post and for this we must have NIOS Virtual appliance installed already.

We should do some initial level settings to configure Grid Master in Infoblox and the steps are below:

1. Login to VSphere Client and select Infoblox host.
2. Select console
3. Login using admin credentials and Once, logged in you get prompt like below. login with superuser credentials in console.
Username: admin
Password: XXXXXXXXX

Infoblox>

4. We must have a valid license before configuring Grid Master. For that, issue below command and login to the infoblox support portal to register your device with Serial Number. Command will list the current version installed and Serial number of the appliance.

 Infoblox> show version 
Version : 8.1.8-365387
SN      : 42181Ax7Ex1F54CxC1AFEDDx9EBx5Ex4F
Hotfix  : N/A

5. Also you can use the temporary license which will allow you to use 60 days trail period. Use the below command to install temp license.

For NIOS Virtual appliance use 2 & 8

Note: You must install Grid & NIOS license to join a Grid

 Infoblox > set temp_license
1.DNSone (DNS, DHCP)
2.DNSone with Grid (DNS, DHCP, Grid)
3.Network Services for Voice (DHCP, Grid)
4.Add NIOS License
5.Add DNS Server license
6.Add DHCP Server license
7.Add Grid license
10.Add Microsoft management license
11.Add Multi-Grid Management license
12.Add Query Redirection license
13.Add Response Policy Zones license
14.Add FireEye license
15.Add DNS Traffic Control license
16.Add Cloud Network Automation license
17.Add Security Ecosystem license
18.Add Threat Analytics license
19.Add Flex Grid Activation license
Select license (1-17) or q to quit: 2
This action will generate a temporary 60-day DNSone with Grid license.
Are you sure you want to do this? (y or n): y
DNS license already exists - ignoring.
DHCP license already exists - ignoring.
Grid license already exists - ignoring.
Temporary license is not installed.
  Infoblox > set temp_license
 
  1. DNSone (DNS, DHCP)
  2. DNSone with Grid (DNS, DHCP, Grid)
  3. Network Services for Voice (DHCP, Grid)
  4. Add NIOS License
  5. Add DNS Server license
  6. Add DHCP Server license
  7. Add Grid license
  8. Add Microsoft management license
  9. Add Multi-Grid Management license
 10. Add Query Redirection license
 11. Add Response Policy Zones license
 12. Add FireEye license
 13. Add DNS Traffic Control license
 14. Add Cloud Network Automation license
 15. Add Security Ecosystem license
 16. Add Threat Analytics license
 17. Add Flex Grid Activation license
 
Select license (1-17) or q to quit: 4
 
  1. IB-V805
  2. IB-V815
  3. IB-V825
  4. IB-V1405
  5. IB-V1415
  6. IB-V1425
  7. IB-V2205
  8. IB-V2215
  9. IB-V2225
 10. IB-V5005
 
Enter a number corresponding to a NIOS model (1 - 10) or q to quit: 8
 
This action will generate a temporary 60-day NIOS (Model IB-V2215) license.
Are you sure you want to do this? (y or n): y
NIOS (Model IB-2225) license already exists - ignoring.
 
Temporary license is not installed.
 
Infoblox >

Already I have installed the license so now it’s not installing.

6. Use below command to set the network. While installing the NIOS Virtual appliance itself, it will request for the network details like IP Address, Gateway, Subnet Mast. If you provided already then skip this step.

Infoblox > set network

Configuring Infoblox/NIOS Grid Master:

  1. Now open a browser and enter browse for the NIOS GUI by enter like https://192.168.1.10 (Change IP Address with you NIOS Server IP)
  2. Login to the Grid GUI with admin credentials.

Username: admin
Password: XXXXXX

  • Review and accept the License by Clicking on “I Accept”.
  • On Grid Configuration wizard select Configure a Grid Master and click Next.
  • Provide the required Grid properties like Grid Name, Shared secret, Show password, Hostname
  • Select No for Is the Grid Master is an HA pair? If you are configuring single Grid master and select yes for an HA pair.
  • Then provide Network settings like Hostname, IP Address, Gateway, Subnet Mask, Port settings.  While installing Appliance itself if you provided these details, then no need to provide now. Because it will take those details automatically.
  • For HA Pair provide below details additionally. And then click Next

Virtual Router ID: This is unique number which from 1 to 255.

Required Ports and Addresses: Provide informations about the virtual interfaces like Node 1 HA and Lan port, Node 2 HA and Lan port. The VIP and IP Address should be from the same subnet. Note: that you cannot change the port settings.

  • Enter new Password and clickNext.
  • Select Timezone and click Next.
  •  If you are enabling NTP then, click Add icon and provide IP Address of the NTP server and If you are disabling NTP simply select disable NTP and provide time and date manually the click Next.
  • Last screen will display the settings whatever you provided to configure the Grid Master. To complete that click  Finish.

Reference: Infoblox document

Upgrading NIOS Software

Will see Upgrading NIOS Software in this post.

Before upgrading do the pre-implementation things for safer side mentioned below.

Check the current version of Infoblox execute below command in web console

admin> show version
Upgrading NIOS Software

Check the license using below command in web console

admin> show license

Note: If the NIOS holding temp license, it’s not advisable to upgrade the Version. It will lead to lose the GUI

Now we must take the Infoblox appliance database backup. Here we are mentioning NIOS configuration and discovery files as database. If anything goes wrong, we can use this backup to restore it to previous stat of the NIOS.

Grid -> Grid Manager -> Backup -> Manual Backup
-> My Computer -> Backup
  1. Download the upgrade binaries (Bin/ Bin2) file from Infoblox support portal and do remember the path where you saved the file

https://support.infoblox.com

Step 1: 

Click on download tab and you will get next screen. From there select “NIOS Archives (.BIN/2 files)”

Upgrading NIOS Software

Step 2:  

             Once selected “NIOS Archives (.BIN/2 files)” from the dropdown list, next click on “Available for download” button

Upgrading NIOS Software

Step 3: 

      On next step you will get list of available download and from there click the appropriate version BIN or BIN2 file to download the upgrade. We can avoid “.DDI.OVA FILES” and “CHECKSUM FILES”, because it not required for the upgrade process.

Upgrading NIOS Software

Recommended to download the .BIN Files for the appropriate version.

Download and keep it in a host which in same network to upload in Grid Master GUI for upgrade and do remember the path.

Upgrading NIOS Software:

  1. Upload the binaries to Infoblox Grid Master (Grid -> Upgrade -> Upload)
  2. Once upload completed, Distribute button will be enabled. Then click on Distribute  to distribute the uploaded binaries to remote nodes (Grid -> Upgrade -> Distribute)
  3. Once distribution completed, Test button will be enabled. To verify the integrity of upgrade files click Test (Grid -> Upgrade -> Test)
  4. Finally click on upgrade to apply the update (Grid -> Upgrade -> Upgrade)

Post Upgrade of NIOS please do the below checks:

  • 1. Revert all nodes to the previous version (Grid -> Upgrade -> Revert -> Grid)

             Grid Master will display warning message. Read the warning carefully and then click Yes to proceed further.

  • In absence of Grid Master GUI, we can restore the backup to set NIOS Configuration to the previous stat.

Reference: Infoblox document