Interoperation Between DHCP and BOOTP (RFC1534)
Original Publication Date: 1993-Oct-01
Included in the Prior Art Database: 2000-Sep-12
Publishing Venue
Internet Society Requests For Comment (RFCs)
Related People
Abstract
DHCP provides a superset of the functions provided by BOOTP. This document describes the interactions between DHCP and BOOTP network participants.
Network Working Group R. Droms
Request for Comments: 1534 Bucknell University
Category: Standards Track October 1993
Interoperation Between DHCP and BOOTP
Status of this Memo
This RFC specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
Official Protocol Standards" for the standardization state and status
of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
DHCP provides a superset of the functions provided by BOOTP. This
document describes the interactions between DHCP and BOOTP network
participants.
1. Introduction
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) provides a mechanism
for transmitting configuration parameters to hosts using the TCP/IP
protocol suite. The format of DHCP messages is based on the format
of BOOTP messages, so that, in certain circumstances, DHCP and BOOTP
participants may exchange messages. This document specifies the ways
in which DHCP and BOOTP participants may interoperate.
DHCP introduces a small change in terminology intended to clarify the
meaning of one of the fields. What was the "vendor extensions" field
in BOOTP has been re-named the "options" field in DHCP. Similarly,
the tagged data items that were used inside the BOOTP "vendor
extensions" field, which were formerly referred to as "vendor
extensions", are now termed simply "options". This document will
refer to BOOTP vendor extensions and DHCP options uniformly as
"options".
Throughout this document, DHCP messages that include a 'DHCP message
type' option will be referred to by the type of the message; e.g., a
DHCP message with 'DHCP message type' option type 1 will be referred
to as a "DHCPDISCOVER" message.
2. BOOTP clients and DHCP servers
The format of DHCP messages is defined to be compatible with the
format of BOOTP messages, so that existing BOOTP clients can
interoperate with DHCP servers. Any message received by a DHCP
server that includes a 'DHCP message type' (51) option is assumed to
have been sent by a DHCP client. Messages without the DHCP Message
Type option are assumed to have been sent by a BOOTP client. Support
of BOOTP clients by a DHCP server is optional at the discretion of
the local system administrator. If a DHCP server that is not
configured to support BOOTP clients receives a BOOTREQUEST message
from a BOOTP client, that server silently discards the BOOTREQUEST<...