PART XXII

BOOTSTRAP AND AUTOCONFIGURATION

(DHCP)

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System Startup
d To keep protocol software general

IP stack designed with many parameters

Values lled in when system starts

d Two possible sources of information

Local storage device (e.g., disk)

Server on the network

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Bootstrapping
d BOOTstrap Protocol (BOOTP)

Early alternative to RARP

Provided more than just an IP address

Obtained conguration parameters from a server

Used UDP

d Dynamic Host Conguration Protocol (DHCP)

Replaces and extends BOOTP

Provides dynamic address assignment

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Apparent Contradiction
d DHCP used to obtain parameters for an IP stack
d DHCP uses IP and UDP to obtain the parameters
d Stack must be initialized before being initialized

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Solving The Apparent Contradiction

d DHCP runs as application
d Only needs basic facilities
d In particular:
An application program can use the limited broadcast IP
address to force IP to broadcast a datagram on the local
network before IP has discovered the IP address of the local
network or the machines IP address.

d Note: server cannot use ARP when replying to client

because client does not know its own IP address

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DHCP Retransmission
d Client handles retransmission
d Initial timeout selected at random
d Timeout for successive retransmissions doubled

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Two-Step Bootstrap
d DHCP provides information, not data
d Client receives

Name of le that contains boot image

Address of server

d Client must use another means to obtain the image to run

(typically TFTP)

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Dynamic Address Assignment

d Needed by ISPs

Client obtains an IP address and uses temporarily

When client nishes, address is available for another

client

d Also used on many corporate networks

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DHCP Address Assignment

d Backward compatible with BOOTP
d Can assign addresses in three ways

Manual (manager species binding as in BOOTP)

Automatic (address assigned by server, and machine

retains same address)

Dynamic (address assigned by server, but machine may

obtain new address for successive request)

d Manager chooses type of assignment for each address

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DHCP Support For Autoconguration

Because it allows a host to obtain all the parameters needed for

communication without manual intervention, DHCP permits
autoconfiguration. Autoconfiguration is, of course, subject to
administrative constraints.

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Dynamic Address Assignment

d Client is granted a lease on an address
d Server species length of lease
d At end of lease, client must renew lease or stop using
address

d Actions controlled by nite state machine

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Server Contact

To use DHCP, a host becomes a client by broadcasting a

message to all servers on the local network. The host then
collects offers from servers, selects one of the offers, and
verifies acceptance with the server.

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DHCP Finite State Machine

Host Boots

INITIALIZE

/ DHCPDISCOVER

DHCPNACK

DHCPNACK

SELECT

or
Lease Expires

Lease Reaches
87.5% Expiration /

DHCPOFFER

Select Offer /

REBIND

DHCPREQUEST

RENEW

DHCPREQUEST
DHCPACK
DHCPACK

REQUEST

Lease Reaches
50% Expiration /

DHCPREQUEST

DHCPACK
BOUND

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Cancel Lease / DHCPRELEASE

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DHCP Message Format

0

16

OP

HTYPE

24
HLEN

31
HOPS

TRANSACTION ID
SECONDS

FLAGS
CLIENT IP ADDRESS
YOUR IP ADDRESS
SERVER IP ADDRESS
ROUTER IP ADDRESS

CLIENT HARDWARE ADDRESS (16 OCTETS)

.
.
.
SERVER HOST NAME (64 OCTETS)
.
.
.
BOOT FILE NAME (128 OCTETS)
.
.
.
OPTIONS (VARIABLE)
.
.
.

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Message Type Field

8
CODE (53)

TYPE FIELD
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

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LENGTH (1)

23
TYPE (1 - 7)

Corresponding DHCP Message Type

DHCPDISCOVER
DHCPOFFER
DHCPREQUEST
DHCPDECLINE
DHCPACK
DHCPNACK
DHCPRELEASE
DHCPINFORM

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Questions For Discussion

d Explain the relationship between DHCP and DNS
d What basic facility is needed? Why?

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Summary
d Two protocols available for bootstrapping

BOOTP (static binding of IP address to computer)

DHCP (extension of BOOTP that adds dynamic binding

of IP addresses)

d DHCP

Server grants lease for an address

Lease species length of time

Host must renew lease or stop using address when lease

expires

Actions controlled by nite state machine

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Questions?