Rollout: Men & Mice's Men & Mice 5.5

The Upshot Men & Mice's Suite 5.5 offers a true enterprise IP address management solution for Microsoft Active Directory-based networks. It provides nonintrusive centralized management of DNS, DHCP and IP configuration, automates common processes and delegates responsibility for given subnets and routine tasks. Network and system administrators can manage DNS, DHCP and IPAM using most systems tools, custom databases and even such crude measures as spreadsheets. Such tools may work for small networks, but they won't scale in large environments. A significant improvement over previous versions, this suite provides a solid, integrated view of the DNS, DHCP and IP address network. Granular user management fills the layered authentication and security gaps found in a standard DNS/DHCP infrastructure. Men & Mice 5.5

The best-laid scheme to manage a midsize to large enterprise with the default DNS, DHCP and IPAM system tools often goes terribly wrong. As networks encompass remote locations and incorporate new services, the number of DNS and DHCP servers increases. Admins must cope with limited integration, insufficient data-validation checks and a lack of granular user access control and logging tools. Men & Mice brings relief with a substantial upgrade to its Men & Mice Suite.

This IP address-management tool tackles the scalability, manageability and troubleshooting problems that arise in large networks. The suite functions as a unified management and access layer on top of an existing Microsoft or Unix DNS and DHCP infrastructure. The most notable new features in this version, 5.5, enhance Men & Mice's support for the Microsoft platform. The software lets users, through a graphical interface, manage standard DNS and DHCP servers on Microsoft and Unix platforms simultaneously and track IP addresses.

Men & Mice integrates seamlessly with and augments environments that are heavily invested in Microsoft and Unix DNS and DHCP servers. By comparison, products from BlueCat Networks, Infoblox, International Network Services (INS) and other competitors replace the current DNS/DHCP environment--something akin to performing a heart transplant for many enterprises.

Men & Mice 5.5 Click to enlarge in another window