dhcp(5)

NAME

     dhcp - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

DESCRIPTION

     Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) enables host sys-
     tems  in a TCP/IP network to be configured automatically for
     the network as they boot. DHCP uses a client/server  mechan-
     ism:  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 informa-
     tion about network services available to the client.

     This manual page provides a brief  summary  of  the  Solaris
     DHCP implementation.

  Solaris DHCP Client
     The Solaris DHCP client is implemented as background daemon,
     dhcpagent(1M).  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.  Network  parameters  needed  for system configuration
     during bootup are extracted from the information recieved 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  dae-
     mon,  in.dhcpd(1M).  This  daemon can deliver network confi-
     guration information to either BOOTP or  DHCP  clients.  The
     Solaris  DHCP  service  can be managed using the dhcpmgr(1M)
     GUI  or   the   command   line   utilities   dhcpconfig(1M),
     dhtadm(1M), and pntadm(1M).

  DHCP Configuration Tables
     The Solaris DHCP server stores client configuration informa-
     tion in the following two types of tables:

     dhcptab tables
           Contain macros and options (also  known  as  symbols),
           used  to construct a package of configuration informa-
           tion to send to each DHCP client.  There  exists  only
           one  dhcptab  for the DHCP service. 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 associated 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 infor-
           mation about network tables.

SEE ALSO

     dhcpinfo(1),  dhcpagent(1M),  dhcpconfig(1M),   dhcpmgr(1M),
     dhtadm(1M),    ifconfig(1M),    in.dhcpd(1M),   netstat(1M),
     pntadm(1M),   syslog(3C),    dhcp_network(4),    dhcptab(4),
     dhcpsvc.conf(4), dhcp_inittab(4), dhcp_modules(5)

     Solaris DHCP Service Developer's Guide

     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 University. March 1997.

     Wimer, W.RFC 1542, Clarifications  and  Extensions  for  the
     Bootstrap  Protocol.  Carnegie  Mellon  University.  October
     1993.