Re: Node Requirements: Elevating DHCPv6 from MAY to SHOULD

[Tim Chown <[e-mail]>]

On 24 May 2011, at 00:48, Christopher Morrow wrote:

> On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 7:07 PM, Manfredi, Albert E
> <[e-mail]> wrote:
>> Mark Smith wrote:
> 
>> Mark, as I suggested previously, DHCP is useful in cases where you need the IP addresses of hosts in a network to be predictable. I have no idea why cable systems want DHCP, but I'm saying that IN GENERAL, if hosts needs to know a priori what the address of other hosts is, SLAAC falls flat on its face.
>> 
>> For example, a peer-to-peer network, where you don't want to rely on a DNS.
> 
> really, the simplest case is enterprise networks:
>  joe's machine always gets address 1:2:3::4/128
>  janes machine always gets 1.2.3::5/128
> 
> this way techsupport always has a predictable mapping for these hosts,
> they can identify form log messages over time what jane vs joe did...
> not have ot worry about keeping track of the vagaries of privacy
> addressing and jane/joe/etc flip flopping around the subnet at
> "random".

Whether you can enforce that jane only uses 1:2:3::5 and doesn't also use other self-selected addresses is another question; in IPv6 it's easier for devices to use different or additional addresses without causing address conflicts.  Thus having the tools to monitor which addresses are appearing where is pretty useful.

> Brian's point though is fair: Drive through, nothing new to discuss
> here (wrt WHY)

On the matter of the subject line, yes :)

Tim