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Mastering DHCP Protocol for IP Address Management

Learn the basics of DHCP, IP address assignments, DHCP packet structure, and troubleshooting utilities. Understand leases, relay agents, and Microsoft DHCP scopes. Explore the DHCP lease types and integration with DNS. Gain insights into DHCP address discovery and renewal processes.

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Mastering DHCP Protocol for IP Address Management

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  1. Guide to TCP/IP, Third Edition Chapter 8: The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

  2. Objectives • Understand the basic services DHCP offers to its clients and explain its background • Understand the specifics of IP address management using DHCP • Explain the DHCP Discovery, renewal, and release processes • Understand the basic DHCP packet structure and types of DHCP messages in use IP Addressing and Related Topics

  3. Objective (continued) • Describe broadcast and unicast addressing • Describe relay agent communications • Discuss Microsoft DHCP scopes and classes • Use DHCP troubleshooting utilities IP Addressing and Related Topics

  4. Introducing DHCP • DHCP • Service that provides a way for client computer to request IP address assignment • Delivers necessary configuration information to clients • Traces its origins back to an earlier protocol named BOOTP • Servers can manage one or more ranges of IP addresses IP Addressing and Related Topics

  5. How DHCP Works • When TCP/IP is configured on client computer • The Obtain an IP address automatically option is the only necessary set-up element • Next time workstation attempts to access network • It broadcasts a DHCP address request to the network because it has no IP address • All DHCP serverspresent on same broadcast domain • Receive request and send back message that indicates a willingness to grant an address lease IP Addressing and Related Topics

  6. How DHCP Works (continued) • Client • Accepts address lease offer and sends packet to server that extended offer • In reply • Server proffers an IP address for a specific period of time that the client uses thereafter • When half the lease period expires • Client attempts to renew the lease IP Addressing and Related Topics

  7. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  8. The Role of Leases • Leases • “Loans” of an address for a specific amount of time • Leases that range from one to three weeks • Typical on networks in which machines seldom move and the workforce is stable • Lease periods • Average between one and three days for networks on which roving workers come and go regularly • Lease periods of four to eight hours • Common on ISP networks IP Addressing and Related Topics

  9. DHCP Software Elements • DHCP client • Enabled at client machine when you select the Obtain an IP address automatically option • DHCP server • Manages address pools and configuration data • DHCP relay agent • Intercepts address requests on local cable segment • Repackages requests as a unicast to one or more DHCP servers IP Addressing and Related Topics

  10. DHCP Lease Types • Manual address lease • Administrator assigns an IP address manually • DHCP server • Assigns addresses for specific periods of time IP Addressing and Related Topics

  11. More About DHCP Leases • How DHCP integrates with DNS • Server addresses are advertised using DNS • All address updates must be entered manually • Client addresses usually come into play only when • e-mail addresses of the form user@domain.name must be resolved IP Addressing and Related Topics

  12. Understanding IP Address Management with DHCP • DHCP Discovery • Occurs when DHCP client broadcasts a request for an IP address • DHCP Discovery • Relies on an initial DHCP broadcast • DHCP servers • PING an address before offering it to the client • Windows clustering • Allows two or more servers to be managed as a single system IP Addressing and Related Topics

  13. DHCP Address Discovery • Uses four packets • DHCP Discover packet • DHCP Offer packet • DHCP Request packet • DHCP Acknowledgment packet IP Addressing and Related Topics

  14. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  15. The Discover Packet • During DHCP Discovery process • Client broadcasts Discover packet that identifies client’s hardware address • Header contains • Source IP address 0.0.0.0 • Preferred address • Typically the last address the client used IP Addressing and Related Topics

  16. The Offer Packet • Send by DHCP server to offer IP address to DHCP client • Offer packet • Includes IP address that is offered to the client and, • Sometimes, answers to the requested options in the DHCP Discover packet IP Addressing and Related Topics

  17. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  18. The Request Packet • Once Offer packet is received • Client can either accept offer by issuing a DHCP Request packet, or • Reject offer by sending a DHCP Decline packet • Typically • Client sends a Decline only if it receives more than one Offer IP Addressing and Related Topics

  19. The Acknowledgment Packet • Sent from server to client to indicate the completion of the four-packet DHCP Discovery process • Response • Contains answers to any configuration options requested by client in the previous Request packet IP Addressing and Related Topics

  20. The Address Renewal Process • When DHCP client receives an address from a DHCP server • Client also receives a lease time and notes the time that the address was received • Lease time • Defines how long the client can keep the address • In middle of the lease period • Client starts a renewal process IP Addressing and Related Topics

  21. The Renewal Time (T1) • T1 • Defined as the time that the client tries to renew its network address • The Renewal packet • Is unicast directly to the DHCP server • Default value for T1 • 0.5 * duration_of_lease (i.e., lease time) IP Addressing and Related Topics

  22. The Rebinding Time (T2) • The time that client begins to • Broadcast a renewal request for an extended lease time from another DHCP server • DHCP specification, RFC 2131, defines default value for T2 as • 0.875 * duration_of_lease IP Addressing and Related Topics

  23. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  24. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  25. The DHCP Address Release Process • Client should release its address by • Sending a DHCP Release packet to the server • DHCP Release packet • Sent over UDP • DHCP server does not send any acknowledgment • If client does not send the DHCP Release packet • DHCP server automatically releases the address at the lease expiration time IP Addressing and Related Topics

  26. DHCP Packet Structures • Fields • Operation Code (OPCODE) or Message Type Field • Hardware Type Field • Hardware Length Field • Hops Field • Transaction ID Number Field • Seconds Since Boot or Seconds Elapsed Field • Flags Field IP Addressing and Related Topics

  27. DHCP Packet Structures (continued) • Fields • Client IP Address Field • Your IP Address Field • Server IP Address Field • Gateway or Relay Agent IP Address Field • Client Hardware Address Field • Server Host Name Field • Boot File Field IP Addressing and Related Topics

  28. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  29. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  30. DHCP Option 53: Message Type • Only DHCP option required in all DHCP packets • Indicates general purpose of any DHCP message • DHCP boot sequence uses these message types: • DHCP MessageType 1: Discover (client to server) • DHCP MessageType 2: Offer (server to client) • DHCP MessageType 3: Request (client to server) • DHCP MessageType 5: ACK (server to client) IP Addressing and Related Topics

  31. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  32. Broadcast and UNICAST in DHCP • DHCP clients • Must broadcast service requests until they obtain IP addresses • DHCP clients • Use unicast addressing after they obtain an address for a local DHCP server or relay agent • DHCP servers • Examine DHCP packets coming from clients IP Addressing and Related Topics

  33. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  34. Communications with a DHCP Relay Agent • DHCP boot up process r • Relies heavily on broadcasts, but most routers do not forward broadcasts • Relay agent function • Typically loaded on a router connected to the segment containing DHCP clients • Relay agent device • Configured with the address of the DHCP server • Can communicate using unicast packets directly with that server IP Addressing and Related Topics

  35. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  36. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  37. Microsoft DHCP Scopes and Classes • Address scopes • Define a set of addresses that a DHCP server can assign to clients • Superscopes • A collection of scopes that contain sets of non-consecutive IP addresses IP Addressing and Related Topics

  38. Setting up a Simple DHCP Server • Field values in the Dynamic Pool Settings • IP Assigned From • The Range of Pool (1-255): • SubMask • Gateway • Wins IP Addressing and Related Topics

  39. Setting up a Simple DHCP Server (continued) • Field values in the Dynamic Pool Settings • DNS • Domain Name • Lease Time (60 – 31536000 sec) • Status IP Addressing and Related Topics

  40. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  41. Troubleshooting DHCP • One good way to troubleshoot DHCP • Use a protocol analyzer, such as Ethereal • Analyzer • Can display the sequence of messages that occurs on a network • Commands to release and/or renew an IP address • ipconfig /release • ipconfig /renew IP Addressing and Related Topics

  42. IP Addressing and Related Topics

  43. Summary • DHCP • Provides a way for computers to obtain usable, unique IP addresses and necessary TCP/IP configurations • From the administrative side • DHCP makes it easy to define and manage pools of IP addresses • DHCP’s origins • Lie in an earlier TCP/IP Application layer protocol, called BOOTP IP Addressing and Related Topics

  44. Summary (continued) • DHCP • Supports manual or static address allocation • When a DHCP client starts • It begins the process of DHCP Discovery, during which the client receives an IP address and lease • DHCP • Supports a variety of message types and options • Only MessageType 53 (DHCP Message) is mandatory for any given DHCP message IP Addressing and Related Topics

  45. Summary (continued) • Because DHCP can ferry a surprisingly large range of configuration information • The protocol makes use of several message options • A protocol analyzer is especially effective when diagnosing DHCP difficulties IP Addressing and Related Topics

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