Cisco Systems 78-11741-02 manual IPC-66, Dhcp Request for an IP Address from a Dhcp Server

Configuring DHCP

DHCP Server Overview

Figure 14 shows the basic steps that occur when a DHCP client requests an IP address from a DHCP Server. The client, Host A, sends a DHCPDISCOVER broadcast message to locate a Cisco IOS DHCP Server. A DHCP Server offers configuration parameters (such as an IP address, a MAC address, a domain name, and a lease for the IP address) to the client in a DHCPOFFER unicast message.

Figure 14 DHCP Request for an IP Address from a DHCP Server

DHCPDISCOVER (broadcast)

Host A

DHCPOFFER (unicast)

DHCPREQUEST (broadcast)

DHCPACK (unicast)

Cisco IOS

DHCP server

32369

Note A DHCP client may receive offers from multiple DHCP Servers and can accept any one of the offers; however, the client usually accepts the first offer it receives. Additionally, the offer from the DHCP Server is not a guarantee that the IP address will be allocated to the client; however, the server usually reserves the address until the client has had a chance to formally request the address.

The client returns a formal request for the offered IP address to the DHCP Server in a DHCPREQUEST broadcast message. The DHCP Server confirms that the IP address has been allocated to the client by returning a DHCPACK unicast message to the client.

Note The formal request for the offered IP address (the DHCPREQUEST message) that is sent by the client is broadcast so that all other DHCP Servers that received the DHCPDISCOVER broadcast message from the client can reclaim the IP addresses that they offered to the client.

If the configuration parameters sent to the client in the DHCPOFFER unicast message by the DHCP Server are invalid (a misconfiguration error exists), the client returns a DHCPDECLINE broadcast message to the DHCP Server.

The DHCP Server will send to the client a DHCPNAK denial broadcast message, which means the offered configuration parameters have not been assigned, if an error has occurred during the negotiation of the parameters or the client has been slow in responding to the DHCPOFFER message (the DHCP Server assigned the parameters to another client) of the DHCP Server.

DHCP defines a process by which the DHCP Server knows the IP subnet in which the DHCP client resides, and it can assign an IP address from a pool of valid IP addresses in that subnet.

The DHCP Server identifies which DHCP address pool to use to service a client request as follows:

•If the client is not directly connected (the giaddr field of the DHCPDISCOVER broadcast message is non-zero), the DHCP Server matches the DHCPDISCOVER with a DHCP pool that has the subnet that contains the IP address in the giaddr field.

•If the client is directly connected (the giaddr field is zero), the DHCP Server matches the DHCPDISCOVER with DHCP pool(s) that contain the subnet(s) configured on the receiving interface. If the interface has secondary IP addresses, the subnets associated with the secondary IP addresses are examined for possible allocation only after the subnet associated with the primary IP address (on the interface) is exhausted.

The Cisco IOS DHCP Server feature offers the following benefits:

•Reduced Internet access costs

Cisco IOS IP Configuration Guide

IPC-66