ManageEngine DDI Central

What ManageEngine DDI Central is

ManageEngine DDI Central combines DNS, DHCP, and IP address management in a self-hosted product for network administrators. It can map existing DNS and DHCP configurations as an overlay or help establish and manage new services on network infrastructure. Its IPAM and DHCP tools include IPv4 and IPv6 inventories, scope and lease management, device fingerprinting, and rogue DHCP server detection. DNS capabilities include threat intelligence, detection and response, sinkholing, DNSSEC with TSIG, and DNS over TLS and HTTPS. The product supports integrations with AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Cloudflare, Cisco DHCP, Endpoint Central, and OpManager, plus SAML and LDAP authentication. Scheduled DNS and DHCP changes and REST APIs are available for Linux and Windows environments. Professional starts at $3,199 a year, and Enterprise at $6,199 a year; the listed pricing note says From $3,199/yr. There is no free plan, but a 30-day trial is offered. Edition limits and operating-system restrictions apply to some features.

Who it suits

It suits network administrators who need self-hosted DNS, DHCP, and IP address management with IPv4 and IPv6 support. Teams should check edition capacities and operating-system restrictions against their requirements.

Limits

Professional supports up to 6 DNS servers, 4 DHCP servers, 3 NTP servers, 2 admins/operators, 15 zones, 5 monitors, and 15 subnets. Enterprise supports up to 15 DNS servers, 10 DHCP servers, 5 NTP servers, 5 admins/operators, 100 zones, 15 monitors, and 100 subnets. Some edition features are Linux-only, and Microsoft DHCPv6 does not support static subnets, static leases, policies, or DHCP failover.

Getting started

1. Visit https://www.manageengine.com/dns-dhcp-ipam/.
2. Choose a 30-day free trial or a subscription edition.
3. Select the Windows executable or Linux binary installer for the Management UI Console and Discovery Node Agent.
4. Deploy it as a self-hosted service on network infrastructure.
5. Use discovery to map existing DNS and DHCP configurations, or set up and manage new services.

Verdict

DDI Central brings network address and service management together with DNS security, integrations, and automation. Review its starting prices, edition limits, and platform-specific restrictions before choosing a plan.