METHOD TO CONTROL DYNAMIC HOST CONFIGURATION PROTOCOL POOL EXHAUSTION IN DYNAMIC NETWORK ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20160036770A1
• Filed: 07/29/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Aruba Networks Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Ganapathy Achari, Rajesh Kumar, Jayarajan, Srinivasan, Nagaraja, Harsha, Nair, Anoop Kumaran, Ramachandran, Venkatesh, Theogaraj, Isaac, Venkatanaranappa, Venkatraju, Chatterjee, Avignan
• Granted Patent: US 9,866,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a method and a network device for controlling DHCP pool exhaustion in dynamic network environments. Specifically, a network device determines that a client device is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address by a DHCP server. The network device detects that the client device is disconnected from a network associated with the IP address, for example, by receiving a de-association message from the client device; determining that a session or an entry corresponding to the client device has timed out; determining that the client device has failed to respond to one or more messages transmitted to the client device; determining that the client device has connected to another network different than said network; etc. In response, the network device then generates a DHCP release message on behalf of the client device, and transmits the DHCP release message to the DHCP server.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, causes performance of operations comprising:

determining that a client device is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address by a DHCP server;

detecting that the client device is disconnected from a network associated with the IP address;

responsive at least to detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network;

generating a DHCP release message on behalf of the client device; and

transmitting the DHCP release message to the DHCP server.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein determining that the client device is assigned the IP address by the DHCP server comprises snooping at least one message between the DHCP server and the client device.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that no network device in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), associated with the IP address assigned to the client device, detects a connection of the client device with the network.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises receiving a de-association message from the client device.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that a session or an entry corresponding to the client device has timed out.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that the client device has failed to respond to one or more messages transmitted to the client device.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from said network comprises determining that the client device has connected to another network different than said network.

8. The medium of claim 1, wherein generating the DHCP release message on behalf of the client device comprises identifying a source of the DHCP release message as the client device.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the generating and transmitting operation are further responsive to determining that a DHCP lease associated with the IP address has not expired.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the generating and transmitting operation are further responsive to determining that a DHCP release message has not been transmitted by the client device.

11. A system comprising:

at least one network device comprising a hardware processor;

the system being configured to perform operations comprising;

determining that a client device is assigned an Internet Protocol (IP) address by a DHCP server;

detecting that the client device is disconnected from a network associated with the IP address;

responsive at least to detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network;

generating a DHCP release message on behalf of the client device; and

transmitting the DHCP release message to the DHCP server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein determining that the client device is assigned the IP address by the DHCP server comprises snooping at least one message between the DHCP server and the client device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that no network device in a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), associated with the IP address assigned to the client device, detects a connection of the client device with the network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises receiving a de-association message from the client device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that a session or an entry corresponding to the client device has timed out.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from the network comprises determining that the client device has failed to respond to one or more messages transmitted to the client device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting that the client device is disconnected from said network comprises determining that the client device has connected to another network different than said network.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein generating the DHCP release message on behalf of the client device comprises identifying a source of the DHCP release message as the client device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the generating and transmitting operation are further responsive to determining that a DHCP lease associated with the IP address has not expired.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the generating and transmitting operation are further responsive to determining that a DHCP release message has not been transmitted by the client device.