Automation & APIs

DNS Automation: BlueCat Gateway meets Modern DDI Automation Demands

BlueCat Gateway powers our customers with simplified and self-serviced DNS management through automation. With new updates this month, we’ve made it better!

Last updated: September 15, 2025

BlueCat Gateway General Configuration screen showing BAM settings and DNS automation workflow options

BlueCat Gateway is an extensible platform & DNS management tool that allows you to automate DNS Server tasks and build a cleaner and lighter DNS record deployments while enabling a simple, self-service focused environment.

In other words, Gateway enables our customers to provide their organization with a more simplified DNS management and self-service focused DNS environment. And with the changes we’ve made in this latest release, there has never been a better time to be a BlueCat Gateway user.

We’re improving Gateway in three key areas:

Key takeaways

BlueCat Gateway is an extensible DNS management and automation platform now available to all BlueCat customers, designed to simplify DNS record deployments and enable a self-service focused DNS environment. The latest release improves accessibility by distributing Gateway as a Quay-hosted Docker image for faster, more flexible installations and CI-friendly deployments; enhances the experience by migrating to Python 3, adding Ansible integration for IPAM operations, and offering new support options; and improves content and community by expanding BlueCat Labs on GitHub, providing certified workflows, and encouraging contributions. These updates reduce operational friction for DNS and IPAM tasks, accelerate deployment timelines, and increase long-term viability and community-driven innovation.

How does the new Docker distribution on Quay change Gateway installation and deployment?

The article explains that BlueCat Gateway is now available as a Docker image in a public Quay registry, which makes the platform easier and faster to access and install—customers can deploy in minutes. This container distribution supports more flexible deployment patterns and integrates with Continuous Integration systems, enabling organizations to incorporate Gateway into automated build and deployment pipelines. The change reduces installation friction and shortens time-to-value by leveraging standard container tooling rather than relying on more time-consuming traditional installation methods.

What are the technical and security benefits of moving Gateway to Python 3?

According to the article, the new Gateway is coded in Python 3, which contributes significantly to the product’s long-term security, support, and viability. Migrating to Python 3 helps ensure continued language-level security updates and compatibility with modern libraries and frameworks. This move positions Gateway to be maintainable and supported going forward, reducing risks associated with using deprecated language versions and enabling integration with contemporary development and operational tools used by enterprise teams.

How does Gateway integrate with Ansible and what operational capabilities does that enable?

The article states that the new Gateway release introduces integration with Ansible, allowing customers who use Ansible configuration management to interact with their BlueCat DNS Integrity environment through Gateway. This integration enables control of IP Address Management (IPAM) operations via Ansible-driven workflows, which helps teams automate provisioning, orchestration, and management of IP-related tasks within existing infrastructure-as-code and configuration management practices. The result is a more consistent, automated approach to DNS and IPAM operations aligned with established operational toolchains.

So, what exactly are we doing? We’re improving Gateway in three key areas:

1. More Accessible

We are making the Gateway platform available as a Docker image (container) in an easily accessible public Docker registry, Quay. So that our BlueCat customers can easily access and enable Gateway.

This new distribution approach will give our customers easier and faster installations (they will be able to access and install in minutes!) as well as more flexible deployments with Continuous Integration systems.

2. Enhanced Experience

There are so many improvements made in the new Gateway platform to improve the user experience.

First and foremost, the new Gateway is coded in Python 3 programming language, which will significantly contribute to the long-term security, support, and viability of the Gateway product.

We are also introducing integration with the Ansible, so our customers who use the Ansible Config management tool can integrate with their BlueCat DNS Integrity environment using BlueCat Gateway to control IP address management (IPAM) operations. Finally, new support options will be available to customers who want more hands-on Customer Success engagement with Gateway.

3. Improved Content

Gateway is nothing without two key things: the content and the community.

Earlier this year we launched BlueCat Labs on GitHub to share Gateway workflows, future integrations, and other open-source project. This is an addition to the example Gateway Workflows, which are already available on our GitHub repository.

We are enhancing our workflow delivery approach to provide more certified BlueCat Gateway workflows and integrations and promote more contributions from our Gateway user community.

Our customers are constantly looking to define, orchestrate, and quickly implement complex business processes to drive greater value for their organization, and DNS must play a prominent role. That’s why we have created Gateway, and we’ll continue to evolve and improve the platform based on our customers’ needs and feedback.

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