Content-type: text/html Man page of dhcpconf

dhcpconf

Section: Maintenance Commands (8)
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NAME

dhcpconf - Controller for DHCP client configuration  

SYNOPSIS

/usr/sbin/dhcpconf [-d] [-f] [-s] [-a server_ip]
    [-w seconds] interface start | drop | release /usr/sbin/dhcpconf [interface] dns | domain | gateways |
    hostname | nis | routes  

OPTIONS

Directs all DHCP protocol messages to the given IP address. Currently not implemented. Starts DHCP only if the interface is down. Starts the DHCP client daemon, joinc, if not already running. This flag is implied by the start command. Instructs dhcpconf to wait for the time specified (if positive) or forever (if negative), or until the operation completes or fails. This option is only relevant on operations which cannot complete immediately. If the timer expires while the operation is in progress, dhcpconf exits with a failure code, but the operation continues. If the user specifies a finite wait interval it should, for consistency, be at least equal to the sum of the timeout values for exponential backoff in the startup file, /etc/join/client.pcy. This option is only relevant on the start command. When an interface is started, joinc sends DHCP discover packets using the exponential backoff and retransmission intervals given in the /etc/join/client.pcy file. If no reply is received at the end of this cycle, the client replies to the controller with failure. When this option is in effect, joinc continues trying to contact a DHCP server forever, either by retrying the whole backoff cycle or using the last timeout value in the array. See client.pcy(4) for details. Puts the interface specified under control of DHCP. The joinc server commences the DHCP on the interface. Fine tuning of this process is provided by parameters in the startup file /etc/join/client.pcy. Makes joinc take the interface down and transmit a DHCP release message to the DHCP server that the IP address assigned to the interface is no longer needed. The server is permitted to reassign the IP address to another client. Tells the client daemon that it should relinquish control of the interface. The options to drop and release the interface are subtly different. Release is part of the DHCP protocol; drop is not. Drop tells DHCP that its services for the interface in question are no longer required - DHCP will not try to renew the lease on the IP address and if the lease should expire no action will be taken. This violates the protocol and is not recommended, except for testing.  

DESCRIPTION

The dhcpconf command and its companion joinc implement the client side of the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, DHCP. The responsibilities of dhcpconf are as follows: Control invocation and termination of DHCP on the client's hardware interface(s). Provide a mechanism for rendezvous with the transactions of DHCP which are proceeding asynchronously with respect to the client boot.

All invocations of dhcpconf send instructions or requests to joinc, which is listening at a well known port number on the Internet Protocol loopback address. Unless the -w option is given, dhcpconf expects an immediate reply, and exits immediately with a success or failure code, depending upon the reply received. When the request is one which the client is unable to fulfill immediately, the reply acknowledges that the request has been validated and that the client will initiate the task required. With the exception of start, which implicitly starts the client daemon, dhcpconf exits with a failure code if joinc is not already running. When the -w option is given, dhcpconf waits for the requested operation either to complete, fail, or wait for the number of seconds specified in the following argument. When the timer expires, dhcpconf exits with a failure code, but the operation requested continues.

The dhcpconf commands are divided into two groups: start, release, and drop initiate and terminate DHCP control of an interface. The remainder request dhcpconf to configure the host-wide parameters or service specified, according to DHCP supplied data. The latter do not, in general, need an interface to be specified, except in the circumstance that different interfaces receive different configurations (See NOTES).  

NOTES

When two or more interfaces are configured by DHCP, the possibility exists that the configurations received may differ. This is the norm for interface specific parameters, but for parameters that pertain to the host as a whole, questions of interpretation arise. List items, in particular, may differ for example, the default gateways. When configuring services, dhcpconf will not merge data from different interfaces. Rather only a single interface is consulted, which, unless given on the command line, is the first one in dhcpconf program's internal array, which is configured when the request is made.  

DIAGNOSTICS

Exit codes are as follows: Success. DHCP was not successful. The DHCP client daemon may not be running, the interface might have failed to configure, or no satisfactory DHCP responses were received. Bad arguments. A timer was set (with -w) and the interface had not configured before it expired. Can only be run as root. Some system error (should never occur)  

RESTRICTIONS

A cluster member should never be a DHCP client. It should always use static addressing.

If a cluster is to support a DHCP server, there can only be one DHCP server for all the cluster members using a common database with failover.

DHCP client is not supported on dataless clients.  

RELATED INFORMATION

Commands: dhcpparm(8), joinc(8), showdhc(8), shleases(8).

Files: client.pcy(4)

Information: DHCP(7) delim off


 

Index

NAME
SYNOPSIS
OPTIONS
DESCRIPTION
NOTES
DIAGNOSTICS
RESTRICTIONS
RELATED INFORMATION

This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 02:40:40 GMT, October 02, 2010