dhcp(5) Standards, Environments, and Macros dhcp(5)NAMEdhcp - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
DESCRIPTION
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) enables host systems in a
TCP/IP network to be configured automatically for the network as they
boot. DHCP uses a client/server mechanism: servers store configuration
information for clients, and provide that information upon a client's
request. The information can include the client's IP address and infor‐
mation about network services available to the client.
This manual page provides a brief summary of the Solaris DHCP implemen‐
tation.
Solaris DHCP Client
The Solaris DHCP client is implemented as background daemon, dhcpa‐
gent(1M).
For IPv4, this daemon is started automatically during bootup if there
exists at least one dhcp.interface file in /etc. Only interfaces with a
corresponding /etc/dhcp.interface file are automatically configured
during boot.
For IPv6, this daemon is started automatically when commanded by
in.ndpd (based on IPv6 Routing Advertisement messages). No
/etc/dhcp.interface file is necessary, but such a file can be used to
specify an interface as "primary," provided that IPv4 DHCP is also in
use.
Network parameters needed for system configuration during bootup are
extracted from the information received by the daemon through the use
of the dhcpinfo(1) command. The daemon's default behavior can be
altered by changing the tunables in the /etc/default/dhcpagent file.
The daemon is controlled by the ifconfig(1M) utility. Check the status
of the daemon using the netstat(1M) and ifconfig(1M) commands.
Solaris DHCP Server
The Solaris DHCP server is implemented as a background daemon,
in.dhcpd(1M). This daemon can deliver network configuration information
to either BOOTP or DHCP clients. The Solaris DHCP service can be man‐
aged using the dhcpmgr(1M) GUI or the command line utilities dhcpcon‐
fig(1M), dhtadm(1M), and pntadm(1M).
DHCP Configuration Tables
The Solaris DHCP server stores client configuration information in the
following two types of tables:
dhcptab tables Contain macros and options (also known as sym‐
bols), used to construct a package of configura‐
tion information to send to each DHCP client.
There exists only one dhcptab for the DHCP ser‐
vice. The dhcptab(4) can be viewed and modified
using the dhtadm(1M) command or dhcpmgr(1M)
graphical utility. See dhcptab(4) for more
information about the syntax of dhcptab records.
See dhcp_inittab(4) for more information about
the DHCP options and symbols.
DHCP network tables DHCP network tables, which contain mappings of
client IDs to IP addresses and parameters asso‐
ciated with those addresses. Network tables are
named with the IP address of the network, and
can be created, viewed, and modified using the
pntadm command or dhcpmgr graphical utility. See
dhcp_network(4) for more information about net‐
work tables.
SEE ALSOdhcpinfo(1), dhcpagent(1M), dhcpconfig(1M), dhcpmgr(1M), dhtadm(1M),
ifconfig(1M), in.dhcpd(1M), in.ndpd(1M), netstat(1M), pntadm(1M), sys‐
log(3C), dhcp_network(4), dhcptab(4), dhcpsvc.conf(4), dhcp_inittab(4),
ndpd.conf(4), dhcp_modules(5)
Alexander, S., and R. Droms. RFC 2132, DHCP Options and BOOTP Vendor
Extensions. Silicon Graphics, Inc. Bucknell University. March 1997.
Droms, R. RFC 1534, Interoperation Between DHCP and BOOTP. Bucknell
University. October 1993.
Droms, R. RFC 2131, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Bucknell Uni‐
versity. March 1997.
Wimer, W. RFC 1542, Clarifications and Extensions for the Bootstrap
Protocol. Carnegie Mellon University. October 1993.
Lemon, T. and B. Sommerfeld. RFC 4361, Node-specific Client Identifiers
for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Version Four (DHCPv4). Nominum
and Sun Microsystems. February 2006.
Droms, R. RFC 3315, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for IPv6
(DHCPv6). Cisco Systems. July 2003.
SunOS 5.10 5 Jan 2007 dhcp(5)
