List of server features.

["John M. Wobus" <[e-mail]>]

I decided to add a section to the DHCP FAQ which lists features of DHCP
servers.  It is not a matrix, just a list of features.  (A matrix or
chart showing what server has what features is a wonderful idea, but it
is also something that would require additional time).

Here it is: anything you think I should add? subtract? change?

-John Wobus



From DHCP FAQ, March 22, 1996:

    2. Info on Implementations
         1. What features or restrictions can a DHCP server have?
            
            While the DHCP server protocol is designed to support dynamic
            management of IP addresses, there is nothing to stop someone
            from implementing a server that uses the DHCP protocol, but
            does not provide that kind of support. In particular, the
            maintainer of a BOOTP server-implementation might find it
            helpful to enhance their BOOTP server to allow DHCP clients
            that cannot speak "BOOTP" to retrieve statically defined
            addresses via DHCP. The following terminology has become
            common to describe three kinds of IP address
            allocation/management. These are independent "features": a
            particular server can offer or not offer any of them:
               o Static allocation: the server's administrator creates a
                 configuration for the server that includes the MAC
                 address and IP address of each DHCP client that will be
                 able to get an address: functionally equivalent to BOOTP
                 though the protocol is incompatible.
               o Automatic allocation: the server's administrator creates
                 a configuration for the server that includes only IP
                 addresses, which it gives out to clients. An IP address,
                 once associated with a MAC address, is permanently
                 associated with it until the server's administrator
                 intervenes.
               o Dynamic allocation: like automatic allocation except
                 that the server will track leases and give IP addresses
                 whose lease has expired to other DHCP clients.
            
           
            Other features which a DHCP server may or may not have:
               o Support for BOOTP clients.
               o Support for the broadcast bit.
               o Administrator-setable lease times.
               o Administrator-setable lease times on statically
                 allocated addresses.
               o Ability to limit what MAC addresses will be served with
                 dynamic addresses.
               o Ability to import files listing statically allocated
                 addresses (as opposed to a system which requires you to
                 type the entire configuration into its own input
                 utility). Even better is the ability to make the server
                 do this via a command that can be used in a script,
                 rdist, rsh, etc.
               o Allows administrator to configure additional DHCP
                 option-types.
               o Interaction with a DNS server. Note that there are a
                 number of interactions that one might support and that a
                 standard set & method is in the works.