
Configuring SNMP, BootP, DHCP, and RARP Services
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• If the flags field contains the value 0, the client knows its own IP address,
which appears in the client IP address field of the BOOTREPLY packet.
The router sends the BOOTREPLY packet to that IP address and the
link-layer address that appears in the client hardware address field.
DHCP Overview
DHCP is an extension of BootP and is also built on the client-server model. DHCP
provides a method for dynamically assigning IP addresses and configuration
parameters to other IP hosts or clients in an IP network. DHCP is specifically
designed for servers in large network environments and complex TCP/IP software
configurations.
DHCP allows a host to automatically allocate reusable IP addresses and additional
configuration parameters for client operation, and allows the client-server host to
configure parameters not directly related to the IP protocol. This feature allows
the host to exchange packets with any other host on the network.
DHCP enables clients to obtain an IP address for a fixed length of time (a lease
period) from remote servers (DHCP servers). Groups of hosts that do not need
permanent IP addresses can lease an address from a limited pool of addresses. The
lease period can range from 1 minute to 99 years. When the lease period expires,
the server can assign the IP address to another client on the network. DHCP also
enables clients to acquire the IP configuration parameters they need to
communicate on a network.
The DHCP packet format is based on a BootP packet. As a result, DHCP uses the
BootP relay agent to forward DHCP packets. This scheme provides
interoperability between the existing BootP clients and DHCP servers. The BootP
relay agent uses the same criteria and methods for forwarding both DHCP and
BootP packets. For information about the packet relay process, see “BootP Relay
Agent Overview,” on page 2-10.
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