IP Routing Features

Configuring DHCP Relay

Configuring DHCP Relay

Overview

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used for configuring hosts with IP address and other configuration parameters without human intervention. The protocol is composed of three components: the DHCP client, the DHCP server, and the DHCP relay agent. The DHCP client sends broadcast request packets to the network, the DHCP servers respond with broadcast packets that offer IP parameters, such as an IP address for the client. After the client chooses the IP parameters, communication between the client and server is by unicast packets.

The function of the DHCP relay agent is to forward the DHCP messages to other subnets so that the DHCP server doesn’t have to be on the same subnet as the DHCP clients. The DHCP relay agent transfers the DHCP messages from DHCP clients located on a subnet without DHCP server, to other subnets. It also relays answers from DHCP servers to DHCP clients.

DHCP Packet Forwarding

The DHCP relay agent on the routing switch forwards DHCP client packets to all DHCP servers that are configured in the table administrated for each VLAN.

Unicast Forwarding

The packets are forwarded using unicast forwarding if the IP address of the DHCP server is a specific host address. The DHCP relay agent sets the destination IP address of the packet to the IP address of the DHCP server and forwards the message.

Broadcast Forwarding

The packets are forwarded using broadcast forwarding if the IP address of the DHCP server is a subnet address or IP broadcast address (255.255.255.255). The DHCP relay agent sets the DHCP server IP address will be set to broadcast IP address and forwarded to all VLANs with configured IP interfaces (except the source VLAN).

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