A super host is a collection of resource records or fixed addresses that are related. It can contain resource records or fixed addresses that belong to a single network device, such as a router or a switch, or an application server. With super host, you can configure and manage multiple interfaces, IP addresses, and DNS and DHCP records that are associated with the same physical or virtual device. A super host gives you the flexibility to group related objects into a single entity and manage them at one place.

A super host can contain the following record types:

• DNS records - A, AAAA, PTR, and host addresses

• DHCP records -  IPv4 or IPv6 fixed addresses.

Note that a super host object and a network view or a DNS view are independent of each other. A super host is an aggregation of NIOS objects that can belong to multiple networks or DNS views, but are related to a single network device. The audit log records all changes to a super host object including addition, modification, deletion, and association or disassociation of resource records.

You can group super host objects in smart folders according to their attributes. For example, you can create a smart folder that contains all records in a specific super host. For more information, see Smart Folders. Use Capacity Report to view the total capacity utilization of super host objects. For more information, see Using the Capacity Report.

Limitations of Super Host

• You can associate extensible attributes with a super host, but it does not support inheritance.

• You cannot associate DNS records that are auto-created with a super host.

• Infoblox has limited control over the resource records, from a zone or a network, which is associated with a super host. This can cause inconsistent behaviors when you enable or disable the resource record from the parent zone or network.  

Administrative Permissions for Super Hosts

Superusers and limited-access users with read/write permission to All Super Hosts and corresponding objects can manage super hosts and their associated resource records. By default, the Super Host Admin role supports read/write permission on super hosts.

To define permissions for super hosts:

1. For an admin group: From the Administration tab, select the Administrators tab -> Permissions tab -> admin_group in the Groups table, and then click the Add icon -> Global Permissions from the Create New Permission area or select Add -> Global Permissions from the Toolbar. For more information, see About Administrative Permissions.

2. For an admin role: From the Administration tab, select the Administrators tab -> Permissions tab -> admin_role in the Roles table, and then click Add icon -> Global Permissions from the Create New Permission area or select Add -> Global Permissions from the Toolbar. For more information, see About Admin Roles.

3. Complete the following in the Manage Global Permissions dialog box:

   • Permission Type: Select Super Host Permissions from the drop-down list.

   • In the table, select Read/Write, Read-Only, or Deny for All Super Hosts.

4. Click Save & Close.

You can also define object level permissions for a super host. For more information, see Defining Object Permissions.

Adding Super Hosts

To add a super host, complete the following:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the Super Host tab, and then click the Add icon.

2. In the Add Super Host wizard, enter the following details:

   • Name: Enter a name for the super host.

   • Comment: Enter additional information about the super host.

   • Disabled: Select this checkbox if you want to disable the super host at this time. Clear the checkbox to enable it. When you disable a super host, the DNS and DHCP records that are associated with it are disabled, but still associated with the super host. 

3. Click Next to associate DNS or DHCP records with the super host. Click the arrow next to the Add icon and select Add DNS and Host Records or Add DHCP Records. Note that you must have valid DNS and DHCP permissions to add resource records and fixed addresses.

4. The records that you associate with the super host are listed. To delete a specific record, select the respective checkbox and click the Delete icon.

5. Click Next to define extensible attributes. For information, see Managing Extensible Attributes.

6. Click Save & Close.

Adding DNS and Host Records

In the Select Record dialog box, complete the following to select and associate DNS or host records:

• Network View: Select a network view from the drop-down list. This is displayed only if you have configured multiple network views.

• DNS View: Select a DNS view from the drop-down list.

• Zone: Select a zone from the drop-down list. You must select a zone before you start searching for records. Click Apply to apply your settings or Reset to reset the settings. Optionally, click the + icon to add another filter rule. To delete an additional filter rule, click the - icon.

• Find: Specify the name of the resource record and click Go to search for a specific record.

• Host Record: Select the checkbox to search for a host record.

• A Record: Select the checkbox to search for an A record.

• AAAA Record: Select the checkbox to search for an AAAA record.

• PTR Record: Select the checkbox to search for a PTR record.

• Click the right arrow to navigate to the search results in the next page.

The appliance displays the following details:

• Name: Displays the name of the resource record.

• IP address: Displays the IP address of the resource record.

• Type: Displays the type of the resource record.

• Comment: Displays additional comments about the resource record.

• Site: Displays the values that were entered for this pre-defined attribute.

• Click on a row and click OK to associate the resource record with the super host, or click Close to cancel. To select and associate multiple records, use Shift+click and Ctrl+click.

You can edit a resource record that is associated with a super host. For more information, see Copying and Modifying Host Records. 

Adding DHCP Records

In the DHCP Objects Selector dialog box, complete the following to select and associate a DHCP record:

• Network View: Select a network view from the drop-down list. This is displayed only if you have configured multiple network views.

• Network: Select a network from the drop-down list. You must select a zone before you start searching for records. Click Apply to apply your settings or Reset to reset the settings. Optionally, click the + icon to add another filter rule. To delete an additional filter rule, click the - icon.

• Find: Specify the fixed address and click Go to search for a specific record.

• Click the right arrow to navigate to the search results in the next page.

The appliance displays the following details:

• IP address: Displays the IP address of the resource record.

• Name: Displays the respective IPv4/IPv6 fixed address or host address.

• Type: Displays the type of the resource record.

• Comment: Displays additional comments about the fixed address.

• Click on the row and click OK to associate the resource record with the super host, or click Close to cancel. To select and associate multiple records, use Shift+click and Ctrl+click.

When you search for DHCP records, a host record with multiple host addresses will display all the associated host addresses in the DHCP Objects Selector dialog box. When you select multiple hosts, the NIOS appliance considers the records as duplicate. Infoblox recommends that you delete the duplicate records before you save them.

You can edit an IPv4/IPv6 fixed address that is associated with a super host. For more information about modifying IPv4 and IPv6 fixed addresses, see Configuring IPv4 Networks and Configuring IPv6 Fixed Addresses respectively.

Viewing Super Hosts

The super host Home panel lists all the super hosts that are configured in the Grid. You can provision new super hosts objects and manage them. To view the configured super hosts, navigate to the Data Management tab → Super Host tab. Grid Manager displays the following information in the super hosts Home panel:

• Name: The name of the super host.

• Comment: The information you entered about the super host.

• Disabled: Indicates whether the super host is disabled.

You can also do the following in this panel:

• Using the Action icon

  Open

  

  , you can modify or delete a super host.

• View associated records. For more information, see Viewing Resource Records Associated with a Super Host below.

• Sort the data in ascending or descending order by column. For information about customizing tables in Grid Manager, see Customizing Tables.

• Use filters and the Go to function to narrow down the list. With the autocomplete feature, you can just enter the first few characters of an object name in the Go to field and select the object from the possible matches. For more information, see Using the Go To Function.

• Create a quick filter to save frequently used filter criteria. For more information, see Using Quick Filters.

• Use Global Search to search for a specific super host. For information, see Using Global Search.

Viewing Resource Records Associated with a Super Host

You can view the resource records that are associated with a super host by navigating to the Data Management tab → Super Host tab, click the respective super host. For each super host object,  the panel displays the following by default:

• Name: The name of the associated DNS or DHCP resource record.

• Parent: The name of the super host object in which the record resides.

• Type: The record type. When you search for an unspecified record type, all the associated records are displayed.

• Data: Value of a resource record. For example, IP address of an A record.

• Comment: Comments that were entered for the resource record.

• Disabled: Indicates if the associated DNS/DHCP resource record is disabled.

• Network View: The network view associated with the resource record.

• DNS View: The DNS view to which the zones belong.

• Creation Timestamp: The time at which the DNS resource record was created.

You can also do the following in this panel:

• Use filters and the Go to function to narrow down the list. With the autocomplete feature, you can just enter the first few characters of an object name in the Go to field and select the object from the possible matches. For more information, see Using the Go To Function.

• Create a quick filter to save frequently used filter criteria. For more information, see Using Quick Filters.

• Click the right arrow to return to the parent object:

  • DNS records, such as A/AAAA/PTR records, and host addresses return to the respective parent zone.

  • DHCP records, such as IPv4 and IPv6 fixed addresses, return to the respective parent network.

• Click the Print icon to print the list of associated resource records.

Modifying Super Hosts

You can select supported DNS or DHCP records and associate or dissociate them from a super host. Infoblox allows you to update the name, comment, and enable or disable the respective super host. To modify a super host:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the Super Host tab.

2. Select a super host that you want to modify and click the Edit icon, or click the Action icon 

   Open

   

   next to the respective super host and select Edit from the menu.

3. The Super Host editor provides the following tabs from which you can modify data:
   
   

   • General tab: Modify certain general properties. For more information, see Adding Super Hosts above.

   • Extensible Attributes tab: Add or modify values of extensible attributes. For information, see Managing Extensible Attributes.

   • Permissions tab: Modify the administrative permissions. For more information, see About Administrative Permissions for Super Hosts above.

4. Click Save & Close.

Deleting Super Hosts

When you delete a super host, you have an option to delete only the respective super host or delete the associated records also. The deleted super hosts and associated records are moved to the Recycle Bin, from which you can restore or permanently delete them. For information about the Recycle Bin, see Using the Recycle Bin.

To delete a super host:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the Super Host tab.

2. Select a super host that you want to delete and click the Delete icon, or click the Action icon 

   next to the respective super host and select Delete from the menu.

3. The appliance displays the Delete Confirmation dialog box to confirm that you want to delete a super host. You can choose to delete the records that are associated with the super host by selecting the Delete associated records with the Superhost checkbox. You cannot delete associated records if you do not have write permissions on those objects. When you restore this super host from the Recycle Bin, the associated resource records are also restored.
   If you do not select the Delete associated records with the Superhost checkbox while deleting a super host, the associated records will not be deleted. When you restore the deleted super host, only the respective super host is restored and you must associate the resource records manually.