The bloxTools environment provides tools for creating custom applications that facilitate the administrative tasks in your organization. It provides a pre-installed environment for running applications using Perl, Python, PHP, CGI scripting, and Infoblox API libraries. Note that no direct external remote user (telnet and ssh, for example) or shell access is available in this environment.
The bloxTools environment "borrows" resources such as CPU, memory, disk space, and networking from the host Infoblox appliance, but is logically separated from the NIOS. The logical separation ensures that any failure in the bIoxTools service does not affect the other services running on the appliance.
The bloxTools environment can only be configured to run on an independent appliance or a Grid member. You cannot run the bloxTools service on a Grid Master or a Grid Master candidate.

Note: In previous NIOS releases, you could run the bloxTools service only on a Grid Master. If bloxTools has been configured to run on a Grid Master before an upgrade, the bloxTools service continues to run on the Grid Master after an upgrade. This configuration is preserved mainly for migration purposes only. Infoblox strongly recommends that you move the bloxTools service to a Grid member after the upgrade. For information, see Moving the bloxTools Service.

In a Grid, you can run the bloxTools service only on one Grid member at a time, and you cannot configure this member as a Grid Master candidate. However, you can move the bloxTools service from one member to another. For information, see Moving the bloxTools Service.
On an HA member, the bloxTools service runs on the active node. If there is an HA failover, the bloxTools service is automatically launched after the passive node becomes active. For information, see About HA Pairs.

Note: When you run the bloxTools service on an independent appliance or a Grid member, the performance of other services running on the appliance may be affected. Infoblox recommends that you run the bloxTools environment on a member that does not host critical services.

After you enable the bloxTools service and configure its built-in file transfer services, you can upload content to the bloxTools portal using either an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) client. The uploaded content is included in system backups and you can restore it from the backups.
If you have further questions about bloxTools, visit the community site at https://community.infoblox.com.

System Requirements

Table 11.1 shows which Infoblox appliances support the bloxTools service and the memory requirement for each. The service "borrows" host resources such as CPU, memory, and disk space from the host Infoblox appliance.
Table 11.1 Memory and Disk Space Requirements