AUTOMATED NETWORK DEVICE PROVISIONING USING DYNAMIC HOST CONFIGURATION PROTOCOL

• US 20100287266A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bollapragada, Vijay, Droms, Ralph, Asati, Rajiv
• Granted Patent: US 8,918,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4641 Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0823 characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]

Abstract

In an embodiment, an electronic digital data packet router performs receiving a DHCP initiation message on a particular interface among a plurality of network interfaces,; modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding a particular DHCP option that signals a DHCP server to provide router configuration data, resulting in a modified DHCP initiation message; relaying the modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server; receiving, from the DHCP server, a DHCPOFFER message that comprises the particular DHCP option containing configuration data; configuring the router using the configuration data; relaying the DHCPOFFER message without the particular DHCP option on the particular interface toward another data packet router.

Claims

1. A data packet router, comprising:

a plurality of network interfaces;

one or more processors coupled to the network interfaces;

dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) relay agent logic coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the logic is configured to perform upon execution;

receiving a DHCP initiation message on a particular interface among the plurality of network interfaces;

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding a particular first DHCP option that signals a DHCP server to provide router VPN configuration data, resulting in a modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a DHCP response message that comprises the particular first DHCP option containing configuration data;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface toward another router.

2. The router of claim 1, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform configuring the particular interface of the router based on the configuration data.

3. The router of claim 1, wherein the DHCP initiation message comprises any of a DHCPDISCOVER message, a DHCPREQUEST message and a DHCPINFORM message and wherein the DHCP response message comprises any of a DHCPACK message and a DHCPOFFER message.

4. The router of claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprise provider edge (PE) router configuration data, and wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform removing the first DHCP option containing the PE configuration data from the DHCP response message, configuring the particular interface based on the removed DHCP option containing the PE configuration data, and relaying a remainder of the DHCP response message on the particular interface.

5. The router of claim 4, wherein the PE configuration data comprise configuration data for VRF, configuration data for the particular interface that connects the router to another router, routing protocol configuration data, quality of service configuration data, performance and fault measurement data.

6. The router of claim 1, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

creating and storing, in memory of the router, a binding that associates (a) a unique identifier of another router that originated the DHCP initiation message to (b) an index value identifying the particular interface;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface by using the index value to select the particular interface.

7. The router of claim 1, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

modifying the DHCP initiation message by providing one or more values in the first particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to provide only specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option value and only the specified PE router configuration data;

configuring the particular interface of the router using the specified PE router configuration.

8. The router of claim 1, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding specified PE router configuration data and a third particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to validate the specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option and information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is valid.

9. The router of claim 8, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

receiving, from the DHCP server, a third DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option, information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is invalid, and one or more new PE router configuration data;

in response to the information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is invalid, configuring the particular interface of the router using the new PE router configuration data.

10. A computer-readable data storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which when executed cause one or more processors to perform:

receiving a DHCP initiation message on a particular interface among a plurality of network interfaces;

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding a particular first DHCP option that signals a DHCP server to provide router configuration data, resulting in a modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a DHCP response message that comprises the particular first DHCP option containing configuration data;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface toward another router.

11. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform configuring the particular interface of the router based on the configuration data.

12. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the DHCP initiation message comprises any of a DHCPDISCOVER message, a DHCPREQUEST message and a DHCPINFORM message and wherein the DHCP response message comprises any of a DHCPACK message and a DHCPOFFER message.

13. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the configuration data comprise provider edge (PE) router configuration data, and wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform removing the first DHCP option containing the PE configuration data from the DHCP response message, configuring the particular interface based on the removed DHCP option containing the PE configuration data, and relaying a remainder of the DHCP response message on the particular interface.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the PE configuration data comprise configuration data for VRF, configuration data for the particular interface that connects the router to another router, routing protocol configuration data, quality of service configuration data, performance and fault measurement data.

15. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

creating and storing, in memory of the router, a binding that associates (a) a unique identifier of another router that originated the DHCP initiation message to (b) an index value identifying the particular interface;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface by using the index value to select the particular interface.

16. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

modifying the DHCP initiation message by providing one or more values in the first particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to provide only specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option value and only the specified PE router configuration data;

configuring the particular interface of the router using the specified PE router configuration values.

17. The storage medium of claim 10, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding specified PE router configuration data and a third particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to validate the specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option and information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is valid.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform:

receiving, from the DHCP server, a third DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option, information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is invalid, and one or more new PE router configuration data;

in response to the information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is invalid, configuring the particular interface of the router using the new PE router configuration values.

19. A computer-implemented data processing method comprising:

an electronic digital data packet router performing;

receiving a DHCP initiation message on a particular interface among a plurality of network interfaces;

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding a particular first DHCP option that signals a DHCP server to provide router configuration data, resulting in a modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a DHCP response message that comprises the particular first DHCP option containing one or more configuration data;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface toward another data packet router.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the configuration data comprise provider edge (PE) router configuration data, and wherein the logic upon execution is configured to perform removing the first DHCP option containing the PE configuration data from the DHCP response message, configuring the particular interface based on the removed DHCP option containing the PE configuration data, and relaying a remainder of the DHCP response message on the particular interface.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding providing one or more values in the first particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to provide only specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the first particular DHCP option and only the specified PE router configuration data;

configuring the particular interface of the router using the specified PE router configuration data.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding specified PE router configuration data and a third particular DHCP option that signals the DHCP server to validate the specified PE router configuration data, resulting in a second modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the second modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a second DHCP response message that comprises the third particular DHCP option and information indicating that the specified PE router configuration data is valid.

23. A data packet routing system, comprising:

a router comprising a plurality of network interfaces, one or more processors coupled to the network interfaces, and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) relay agent logic coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the logic is configured to perform upon execution;

receiving a DHCP initiation message on a particular interface among the plurality of network interfaces;

modifying the DHCP initiation message by adding a particular first DHCP option that signals a DHCP server to provide router VPN configuration data, resulting in a modified DHCP initiation message;

relaying the modified DHCP initiation message to the DHCP server;

receiving, from the DHCP server, a DHCP response message that comprises the particular first DHCP option containing VPN configuration data;

relaying the DHCP response message on the particular interface toward another router;

a computer comprising one or more second processors and DHCP server logic coupled to the one or more second processors, wherein the DHCP server logic is configured to perform upon execution;

examining the particular first DHCP option in the DHCP initiation message;

sending a configuration request message comprising an identifier of the router to a PE router configuration response unit;

receiving the PE configuration data from the PE router configuration response unit;

forming the DHCP response message including the PE configuration data in a relay agent configuration option;

forwarding the DHCP response message to the router.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the DHCP server logic is further configured to send the configuration request message to a CE router configuration response unit, to receive CE configuration data in response thereto, and to include the CE configuration data in the DHCP response message.