Articles

Men&Mice Suite version 9.2 released with AWS multi-account management, DNS Workflow, advanced Reporting and Azure Marketplace availability

Men&Mice Suite 9.2 continues to deliver on the company’s commitment to making complex IP infrastructure management elegantly simple and quietly robust.

Mar 6th, 2019

Men&Mice Suite Version 9.2 continues to deliver on the company’s commitment to making complex enterprise IP infrastructure management, across hybrid and multicloud environments, as elegantly simple and quietly robust as customer-grade technology, but on an enterprise-grade scale.

Men&Mice Suite Version 9.2 in a nutshell (tl;dr):

●   New Workflow module (add-on): greater ease and control of DNS management by enabling users to request and optionally schedule the fulfilment of DNS changes for administrator approval/denial.

●   New Advanced Reporting module (add-on): create tailor-made reports by correlating data and templates in just a few steps, scheduling the results to be generated daily, weekly or on a custom schedule.

●   Multiple account support for AWS: manage and retrieve data from AWS master account credentials associated with up to thousands of AWS sub-accounts.

●   Availability on the Azure Marketplace: try the Men&Mice Suite on Azure, or implement with one-click install (with step-by-step instructions).

●   Improved DHCP functionality for scopes and reservations on ISC DHCP, ISC Kea, and Cisco

●    A host of added functionality for filtering, quick commands, and data displays for further mobility and ease of operations.

Not sure yet? Read more about the Men&Mice Suite's new 9.2 features and functionality.

Five noteworthy updates in Men&Mice Suite 9.2 for a Future-ready IP Infrastructure Strategy

Beyond the consistent improvements customers have come to expect from Men&Mice, version 9.2 of the Men&Mice Suite focuses on the expansion of cloud integration, such as AWS multi-account support and Azure Marketplace availability, as well as simplifying DNS workflows and deepening reporting capabilities with new add-on modules.

AWS Multi-Account Management

Men&Mice Suite already features cloud-native integration with AWS and Azure as well as Akamai Fast DNS, Amazon Route 53, Azure DNS, Dyn DNS and NS1 to best manage and synchronize IP address management and DNS respectively. In the v9.2 release, Men&Mice has added multi-account support in AWS, to manage and retrieve data from AWS master account credentials associated with up to thousands of AWS sub-accounts.

aws-multi

DNS zones, VPCs and subnets can be listed for each AWS account subscription, dramatically cutting down administration while guaranteeing a global view/management of the cloud infrastructure.

New Workflow Module

One of the key new features in version 9.2 is the newly introduced Workflow module for efficient request and approval of DNS tasks. The Workflow module allows users to make requests for creating, modifying and deleting DNS records and optionally schedule the fulfillment of DNS changes.

workflow

A common scenario for using the Workflow module would be a user requesting to add a new DNS record, modify or delete an existing DNS record. The request is created and is viewable to an administrator, along with other requests from other users in one comprehensive list, for approval or rejection, scheduling or immediate implementation. The new Workflow module can be licensed as an add-on to versions of Men&Mice Suite v9.2 or beyond.

Advanced Reporting Module

In any enterprise-level organization, transparency and a clear line of responsibility are crucial. The new, advanced Reporting module, enables users and administrators with the ability to utilize, save and export for download a variety of report templates and customized reports.

reporting

In 2018, Men&Mice introduced simplified reporting features within the Men&Mice Suite. In Men&Mice v9.2, the new advanced Reporting module takes this several steps further, where reports can be tailor-made by correlating data and templates in just a few steps, scheduling the results to be generated daily, weekly or on a custom schedule. The advanced Reporting module can be licensed as an add-on to versions of Men&Mice Suite v9.2 or beyond.

We’ll cover the two brand new modules for Workflow and Reporting in detail in the coming weeks.

Men&Mice Suite goes live in the Azure Marketplace

azure-marketplace

Microsoft’s software and services are present in just about every organization’s infrastructure, making the business of keeping critical infrastructure up and running consistent, reliable, and familiar for a lot of network managers. Familiarity of technology has its benefits, particularly when it’s possible to extend your network into the cloud within the same Microsoft ecosystem, as is the case with Azure cloud services.

The first third-party solution to have integrated with Windows 2016 and Azure DNS, Men&Mice takes its long-term technological focus a step further by simplifying availability of the Men&Mice Suite for Microsoft Azure customers. From Version 9.2, the Men&Mice Suite is available through the Azure Marketplace. Deployment can be done in a matter of minutes instead of hours, with one-click install and easy-to-follow instructions. Simple as that.

Automation and the Men&Mice REST API

Not every network task requires human interaction. In fact, the life of a network manager can be simplified by automation in the right places. Men&Mice’s REST API offers the automation and customization needed to keep teams focused on the bigger picture and help keep networks secure.

network_menmice

In addition to improved automation and customization capabilities, some other great new features introduced in Men&Mice Suite v9.2 include added IPv6 support in its network creation wizard, single-click system updates and improved management of subnets, ranges, scopes, and more.

Changing The Way The World Sees Networks

“Overlay solutions, such as the Men&Mice Suite, anticipate changing network needs, focus on compatibility between services and extend network investments while combating network conflicts and vulnerabilities. Likewise, Men&Mice’s dedication to establishing both technical and business partnerships for its solutions means customers can count on DevOps-friendly automation, synchronization and the unified visibility necessary to manage the next generation of enterprise networks.”  — Sigfús Magnússon, Head of Product, Men&Mice.