Re: [v6ops] Thinking about problems in IPv6-only networks

["STARK, BARBARA H" <[e-mail]>]

> > It's arguable that a host using DHCP when the RAs say not to is in the
> wrong.
> 
> Agree. But if 'O' bit is not supported on hosts, hosts should have DHCPv6
> enabled by default. There are millions of IPv4 phones that use DHCPv4 for
> autoconfiguration (for phone applications), for example. When they migrate
> to IPv6, they should get the configuration from DHCPv6 server. DHCPv6
> should not be disabled by default when migrating those phone to IPv6. That
> is why I think 'O' should be TRUE by default, so the phone applications can be
> automatically configured by DHCPv6 server. By default, phones can use
> SLAAC to get the addresses.

Hi Dusan,

There are millions of hosts with no DHCPv6 support. This is the case and will continue to be the case. Hosts that do not support DHCPv6 client will *never* have DHCPv6 enabled by default, or otherwise. Networks that are primarily intended for these sorts of devices will rarely (if ever) have DHCPv6 enabled.

As for the millions of IPv4 phones -- these millions of phones are not connecting directly to DSL/DOCSIS/PON/3GPP access networks. They are not connecting to (unmanaged) home networks and getting configuration by DHCPv4. They are not connecting directly to data center networks. They're definitely not connecting directly to core network routers. They *are* connecting to enterprise networks. Suggesting that all routers, in every use case and every scenario, must always support DHCPv6 server and provide stateless configuration, just because there exist some devices in specific use cases that require configuration info from DHCP, isn't reasonable.

If you want this specifically for enterprise routers, then perhaps you should be commenting on draft-ietf-v6ops-ipv6rtr-reqs. Note that this draft does require DHCPv6 support (Section 3.3, first bullet) for the routers it describes (see Section 1.3 on Use and Applicability).
Barbara

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