Less downtime, fewer network outages, and minimized security incidents.
More network control and visibility. Rapid change and productivity after migrating applications and infrastructure to the cloud.
Achieving these goals is possible.
But if your network team is using a mature DDI approach. DDI stands for Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and IP address management (IPAM). They are key components of your mission-critical network infrastructure. DDI services are essential to routing traffic and establishing network connections—your network cannot run without them.
The more mature the DDI approach, the greater your assurance of reliable, secure, and fast access from users and devices to clouds and applications.
But what does it take to reach DDI maturity? Read on to learn about maturity stages, as well as some of the key drivers for and perks of a DDI investment. Plus, learn what to focus on when making the transition.
DDI maturity in stages
DDI services approaches can vary greatly in their maturity, from homegrown to full-stack commercial solutions. New research from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) and BlueCat surveyed 227 IT professionals in enterprise-level organizations (2,500 or more employees) and identified three stages of DDI maturity.
Stage 1: A do-it-yourself (DIY) approach characterized by the use of spreadsheets and open-source software for IPAM. These organizations struggle with error-prone systems that are insecure—often due to manual configurations—making them targets for external DNS and DHCP attacks.
Stage 2: Organizations that have adopted a commercial IPAM tool integrated with a third-party DNS service. The IPAM overlay boosts management and scalability, but security and automation challenges remain.
Stage 3: Organizations that have invested in a DDI management platform. Increased network resiliency. Administrators have improved automation capabilities and reduced risk across the enterprise, including cloud and multi-cloud environments.
According to EMA research, more than 35% of organizations have not yet reached maturity—with 3.5% at the DIY stage.
Why are network teams investing time and/or money in DDI technology?
Of the many factors driving network teams to invest their time and money in DDI technology, three stand out above: Public cloud migration or transformation (such as cloud first or multi-cloud), a network or IT automation initiative, or a security incident.
Fighting the cloud… is futile
The cloud stampede is not slowing down. Network teams that have resisted the migration find themselves scrambling to keep up. That’s why most IT professionals have pegged cloud migration and digital transformation as the main driver of increased DDI investment.
And network teams don’t have to contend with a single cloud provider. Organizations now use multiple cloud providers, making it more difficult to manage resources and risks. A mature DDI solution reduces risk and eases complexity, returning the reins to network teams and improving SLAs between different teams.
You can’t accelerate until you automate
Investing in a DDI management platform enables organizations to unleash operational efficiencies. Most will be next to impossible to do with open-source software. Automating network and IT configuration and provisioning frees network teams to tackle more complex business challenges.
A senior network engineer at a Fortune 500 retail company highlighted the changes for EMA. “We have too many things we do manually with our small staff. We spend an hour a day just making DNS entries. Now, we have ServiceNow integration. You can open a DNS ticket and it will automatically generate a DNS request and DNS update [in our DDI management platform].”
Stay safe
Hackers target DNS for malicious activity. Distributed Denial of Service attacks have increased year by year. Less mature DDI solutions do not offer adequate protection. What’s the point of renovating your entire house if you leave the back door open every time you leave?
Commercial DDI platforms provide advanced DNS security to network teams. This includes full visibility and enhanced analytics to isolate problems before they escalate.
Two key pieces of advice for planning your DDI investment
Common missteps can derail your efforts when preparing for any major IT investment. Keep these tips in mind as you adopt a mature DDI strategy.
Provide proof to overcome budget objections. More than 50% of organizations, according to EMA research, blame budget struggles for a lack of investment in DDI.
Network engineers must show—not tell—senior leadership what will happen without the DDI investment. Stalled digital transformation initiatives are the same as those that eat away at profit margins. Determine the impact of outages and reliability issues that can damage brand reputation and the bottom line. Management must realize that failure to invest creates a barrier to development.
Invest in people and training. Over 42% of organizations do not have staff with DDI expertise.
Make hiring people who understand network security and automation a priority. And give them the training—DDI vendors can help—they need to succeed. At the end of the day, your people can be the difference between arrested development and network evolution.
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