When you provision Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instances using the NIOS Elastic Scaling feature, most procedures are similar to those used when you do not use Elastic Scaling for instance provisioning. The primary difference involves differences in the AWS Configure Instance Details page's User data field, including the entry of an Infoblox token and certificate pair, which you generate in the Grid Master and use one time only, when you pre-provision the Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
This section provides a list of cross-references to the sequence of procedures to provision a new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance in AWS, and also provides the procedures specific to using Elastic Scaling.
Note
Ensure that you have the necessary feature licenses for each of your Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance, including dynamic licenses to support Elastic Scaling. For information, refer to Managing Licenses in the Infoblox NIOS Documentation.
Initial Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Configuration with Elastic Scaling
To begin provisioning a new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance with Elastic Scaling, do the following:
- Load the Infoblox vNIOS for AWS AMI from the Infoblox Community AMI page. For information, see Obtaining the Infoblox vNIOS for AWS AMI.
- Click Next: Configure Instance Details to define networking settings and User Data configuration for your new Elastic Scaling Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
- Define the networking settings for your new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance, including the required two interfaces. For information, see Defining Network Settings for Your New Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instance.
- In the Configure Instance Details page, open the Advanced Details section, which displays the User data settings.
- Continue to the following section, Defining AWS User Data Settings for Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instances using Elastic Scaling.
Defining AWS User Data Settings for Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instances using Elastic Scaling
When you provision using Elastic Scaling, Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instances require different User Data settings on the AWS Configure Instance Details page. In AWS, you enter User Data for new instances in plain text format. You use the following data fields for Elastic Scaling provisioning of new instances:
- The
#infoblox-configheader. - A required
gridmaster: field that remains blank (this signifies to AWS that the appliance that is serving the Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance is a Grid Master). The next three fields are subordinate to this field:ip_addr: A required field that specifies the private IP address of the current Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.token: A field that provides the string for the generated token for the new instance. Here, you paste in the Infoblox NIOS Elastic Scale token for the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance. The token and certificate are generated in the Grid Master when you pre-provision the vNIOS instance.certificate: A field that provides the string for the generated Infoblox NIOS certificate credential associated with the token. The token and certificate are generated in the Grid Master when you pre-provision the vNIOS instance. The token and certificate values are valid only for a period of time or until the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance joins the Grid; at which point the token and certificate expire. For information, see About Elastic Scaling in the Infoblox NIOS Documentation.
Note
- You may also use different User Data settings to manually provision new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instances without using Elastic Scaling. You can use other fields for enabling the remote console and a default admin password. For information, see Initializing New Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instances with the AWS User Data Field.
- When you deploy a vNIOS for AWS instance, the LAN1 and MGMT IP addresses are allocated from the AWS DHCP server. Even if you try to set different IP addresses using a cloud_int script, IP addresses are allocated from the AWS DHCP server only.
After you complete the configuration and launch the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance, the Grid Master and the new instance communicate, and the new instance automatically joins the Grid. Further communications with the instance take place through Grid Manager and the NIOS CLI.
In the Advanced Details section on the Configure Instance Details page, complete the following steps:
- Select the As text option above the entry field.
- In the User data field, enter or paste the required data fields, token, and certificate information as shown in Figure: Adding the Grid Master, Token, and Certificate information to the AWS vNIOS Instance. A text example:
#infoblox-config
gridmaster:
ip_addr: 172.16.1.2
token: NyLGqDNK6NVRREqm3w0ddyxnPS913cml
Certificate: <copy and paste certificate here>
Figure: Adding the Grid Master, Token, and Certificate information to the AWS vNIOS Instance
The token and certificate are used only once, and expire when the Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance joins the Grid.
3. After entering your information in the Advanced Details section, click Next: Add Storage to continue setting up the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
Continuing Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instance Configuration
After defining the settings for supporting Elastic Scaling, configuring a new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance uses the same procedures for configuring an appliance without Elastic Scaling. Do the following to complete instance configuration:
- Clicking Next: Add Storage to define storage capacity settings for the new instance.
- You use the Add Storage AWS wizard page to set storage configuration and define tags to be used as extensible attributes for the new instance. For information, see Defining Storage Settings for your New Instance.
Infoblox recommends keeping at least the minimum storage capacity defaults for the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
Note
Check the top of the AWS console page to see the wizard configuration step location. Click the Previous button at any time to navigate to previous configuration pages.
2. Click Next:Tag Instance to define AWS tags for matching NIOS extensible attributes.
- You use the Tag Instance AWS wizard page to define name-value pairs for categorizing, searching, and identifying Amazon objects such as EC2 instances, subnets, VPCs, and IP addresses. If you already have extensible attributes defined for your Infoblox Grid, you can add those same EAs to the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance on this page. For information, see Using AWS Tags with Infoblox Extensible Attributes to Identify Resources for IP Address Assignments.
3. Click Next: Configure Security Group to configure the security settings for your new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
- You use the Configure Security Group AWS wizard page to define the firewall security settings for the new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance. For information, see Defining an AWS Instance Security Group.
4. Click Next: Review and Launch to review instance settings and launch your new Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance.
- The Review Instance Launch page lists breakout sections with each category of settings, beginning with AMI Details at the top. The page provides an Edit link for each category (Edit instance type, Edit security groups...) for any final changes. Complete your Infoblox vNIOS for AWS instance configuration and launch the instance. For information, see Completing Your Infoblox vNIOS for AWS Instance Launch.
5. Perform additional tasks for the vNIOS for AWS configuration to ensure that the virtual appliance is functioning properly. For information, see Additional Configuration for vNIOS for AWS.