Techniques for exchanging DHCP information among DHCP relay agents and DHCP servers
First Claim
1. In a data communications device, a method for exchanging Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) relay agent information with a DHCP server, the method comprising:
- receiving a DHCP message en route from a DHCP client to the DHCP server, the DHCP message including (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent;
modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent and second relay agent information from a second relay agent; and
sending the DHCP message with the modified option portion to the DHCP server;
wherein, prior to modifying the option portion, the DHCP message includes an initial Relay Agent Information Option containing the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent;
wherein modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information from the second relay agent includes providing a new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, the new Relay Agent Information Option excluding the non-option portion of the DHCP message; and
wherein providing the new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message includes;
containing the initial Relay Agent Information Option within a first sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option; and
containing the second relay agent information from the second relay agent within a second sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique involves exchanging DHCP relay agent information with a DHCP server. In particular, the technique involves receiving a DHCP message en route from a DHCP client to the DHCP server. The DHCP message includes (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent. The technique further involves modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent and second relay agent information from a second relay agent. The technique further involves sending the DHCP message with the modified option portion to the DHCP server. Accordingly, the DHCP server is capable of receiving relay agent information from multiple relay agents and assigning an address to the DHCP client based on this input.
39 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. In a data communications device, a method for exchanging Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) relay agent information with a DHCP server, the method comprising:
-
receiving a DHCP message en route from a DHCP client to the DHCP server, the DHCP message including (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent; modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent and second relay agent information from a second relay agent; and sending the DHCP message with the modified option portion to the DHCP server; wherein, prior to modifying the option portion, the DHCP message includes an initial Relay Agent Information Option containing the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent; wherein modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information from the second relay agent includes providing a new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, the new Relay Agent Information Option excluding the non-option portion of the DHCP message; and wherein providing the new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message includes; containing the initial Relay Agent Information Option within a first sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option; and containing the second relay agent information from the second relay agent within a second sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 17, 18)
-
-
6. A data communications device, comprising:
-
a receiver; a transmitter; and control circuitry coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the control circuitry being configured to; receive, through the receiver, a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) message en route from a DHCP client to a DHCP server, the DHCP message including (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent; modify the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent and second relay agent information from a second relay agent; and send, through the transmitter, the DHCP message with the modified option portion to the DHCP server; wherein, prior to modification of the option portion, the DHCP message includes an initial Relay Agent Information Option containing the first relay agent information added by the first relay agent; wherein the control circuitry, when modifying the option portion of the DHCP message to simultaneously include both the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information from the second relay agent, is configured to provide a new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, the new Relay Agent Information Option excluding the non-option portion of the DHCP message; and wherein the control circuitry, when providing the new Relay Agent Information Option in place of the initial Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, is configured to; contain the initial Relay Agent Information Option within a first sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option; and contain the second relay agent information from the second relay agent within a second sub-option of the new Relay Agent Information Option. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 19, 20)
-
-
11. In a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, a method for exchanging DHCP relay agent information, the method comprising:
-
receiving a DHCP message from a DHCP client through multiple DHCP relay agents, the DHCP message including (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent and second relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a second relay agent; generating another DHCP message based on both the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information; and sending the other DHCP message to the DHCP client through the multiple DHCP relay agents; wherein the option portion of the DHCP message includes a Relay Agent Information Option containing the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information; and wherein sending the other DHCP message includes; outputting, as the option portion of other DHCP message, an echoing Relay Agent Information Option that echoes the Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, the echoing Relay Agent Information Option having (i) the first relay agent information contained within a first sub-option of the echoing Relay Agent Information Option and (ii) the second relay agent information contained within a second sub-option of the echoing Relay Agent Information Option. - View Dependent Claims (15, 21, 22)
-
-
12. A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, comprising:
-
a receiver; a transmitter; and control circuitry coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, the control circuitry being configured to; receive a DHCP message from a DHCP client through multiple DHCP relay agents and through the receiver, the DHCP message including (i) a non-option portion having a client identifier identifying the DHCP client and (ii) an option portion having first relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a first relay agent and second relay agent information added to the DHCP message by a second relay agent; generate another DHCP message based on both the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information; and send the other DHCP message to the DHCP client through the transmitter and through the multiple DHCP relay agents; wherein the option portion of the DHCP message includes a Relay Agent Information Option containing the first relay agent information and the second relay agent information; and wherein the control circuitry, when send mg the other DHCP message, is configured to output, as the option portion of other DHCP message, an echoing Relay Agent Information Option that echoes the Relay Agent Information Option of the DHCP message, the echoing Relay Agent Information Option having (i) the first relay agent information contained within a first sub-option of the echoing Relay Agent Information Option and (ii) the second relay agent information contained within a second sub-option of the echoing Relay Agent Information Option. - View Dependent Claims (16, 23, 24)
-
Specification