Configuration of Routers for DHCP Service Requests

• US 20100312818A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Packetfront Network Products AB (ShortCap AB)
• Original Assignee: Packetfront Systems AB (Tosca IOM Ltd.)
• Inventors: Öman, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/59 using proxies for addressing

Abstract

A method of configuring a router to provide DHCP IP address services to a number of network clients sending messages to the router to request IP addresses, the network clients connecting to a network via the router which is under the control of a control system, the method includes obtaining configuration instructions for the router by sending messages from the router to the control system to request configurations for DHCP services, sending configuration instructions from the control system to the router, and configuring the router in accordance with the configuration instructions.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a router to provide DHCP IP address services to a number of network clients sending messages to the router to request IP addresses, wherein the network clients connect to a network via the router which is under the control of a control system, the method comprising the steps of:

i) obtaining configuration instructions for the router by sending messages from the router to the control system to request configurations for DHCP services;

ii) sending configuration instructions from the control system to the router; and

iii) configuring the router in accordance with the configuration instructions to;

a) act as a DHCP server and provide an IP address in response to at least one client request; and

b) act as a relay agent and forward the request from at least one other client to an external DHCP server and to forward an IP address response from the external DHCP server to the client.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising analyzing the request from the client to determine a service type to which the request relates and creating a configuration instruction according to the determined service type.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of obtaining a configuration instruction comprises creating the configuration instruction in the router from one of a number of configuration templates according to the service type.

4. A method as claimed claim 2, further, sending a message from the router to the control system to request a configuration for DHCP services according to the determined service type.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration instruction comprises an instruction including an IP address pool from which the router can assign an address to the client when acting as a DHCP server.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the configuration instruction comprises an instruction including the identity of the external DHCP server to which the IP address request is relayed.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, comprising sending relay agent information with the request to the external DHCP server.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein more than one external DHCP server is identified.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the router is under the control of a control system and is configured to act as a relay agent, the router sends an update message to the control system when forwarding the IP address from the external DHCP server to the client.

10. A network system comprising a number of routers, a number of network clients, and a network control system, wherein each network client connects to a network via an associated router and the router is under the control of the control system, the network system being configured to:

obtain configuration instruction for the router by sending messages from the router to the control system to request configurations for DHCP services;

send configuration instructions from the control system to the router;

configure the router in accordance with the configuration instructions to act as a DHCP server and provide an IP address in response to at least one client request, and

configure the router to act as a relay agent and forward the request from at least one other client to an external DHCP server and to forward an IP address response from the external DHCP server to the client.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising at least one external DHCP server.