Introduction

This chapter:

• Presents an overview of the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager (see the next section, "Overview of the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager")

• Describes how to get started using the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager (see "Getting Started with the CDDM" on page 1-2)

Overview of the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager

The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager (CDDM) is a suite of TCP/IP applications that manage domain names and synchronize IP addresses between the DHCP and DNS services. The CDDM includes both a graphical tool to manage DNS zone data and a graphical utility to configure the various services.

The Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager provides the following services:

• NetControl--Master server that listens for requests from the ports on which the services run. When NetControl receives a request for a service, it starts the service and passes the connection to it.

• Service Configuration Manager (SCM)--Graphical utility that lets you start, stop, and configure services.

• DNM Browser--Graphical utility that lets you easily manage DNS zone data. All entries in the DNS are checked for proper syntax and duplicate IP addresses, and PTR records are automatically generated.

• DNM service--Server-based application that lets you use the DNM Browser to manage DNS zone data.

• DNS service--Fully compliant BIND 4.9.3 DNS service with proprietary extensions for port numbers.

• DHCP/BootP service--Provides both DHCP and BootP protocols to assign IP addresses to hosts, and automatically updates DNS with the IP addresses and domain names of new nodes on the network.

The following services are described in the Cisco Server Suite Installation and Basic Configuration Guide:

• Syslog service--Receives messages from network clients and forwards them to the specified log files. Messages can be sorted based on message type and priority level.

• NTP service--Uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize your system clock and network time with another time source. It lets you keep all of the clients on your network running the same time, and make sure that your network time is correct for your area.

• TFTP service--Uses the Internet-standard Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) to transfer files between the local host and remote hosts.

Getting Started with the CDDM

This section gives an overview of setting up and using the CDDM.

Planning for the CDDM

Before installing the CDDM, please read the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager Concepts and Planning Guide. Before you install the software, you must make decisions about which services you need to install and how you will configure them. This is especially true of the DNS service. The DNM service may require you to configure DNS somewhat differently than you are used to, so it is imperative that you read the Cisco DNS/DHCP Manager Concepts and Planning Guide so that you can make informed decisions about configuring DNS and managing your DNS zone files.

Before Installing the CDDM

Before installing the CDDM, you need to know beforehand which of the included services you plan to install. You may need to disable existing services on your system. For information about disabling existing services, see the Cisco Server Suite Installation and Basic Configuration Guide.

Installing the CDDM

Once you have made decisions about which services you want to install, and have planned your DNS setup, it is time to install the CDDM. To learn how to install the CDDM, see the Cisco Server Suite Installation and Basic Configuration Guide.

Configuring Services

After installing the CDDM, configure the services that you installed.

To learn details on the Service Configuration Manager, including how to control access to a service, see the Cisco Server Suite Installation and Basic Configuration Guide.

To learn how to start and configure the DNM service and DNM Browser, the DNS service, and the DHCP/BootP service, see the relevant chapters in this guide.

To learn how to start and configure the services that are included in both the CDDM and Cisco Server Suite 1000 (NetControl, SCM, TFTP, NTP, and Syslog), see the Cisco Server Suite Installation and Basic Configuration Guide.