Requesting Autoconfiguration Service

To enable autoconfiguration for your existing network, email net-trouble@illinois.edu with the following information:

• The name and IP CIDR of the network
• Which type of autoconfiguration you would like to enable (see below for details)
• If the network already has a DHCP server, let us know and provide details so that we can assist you in migrating your existing DHCP configuration into IPAM.
• Optionally, any other special configuration changes you require at this time (e.g. DHCP options set at the network level)

For new networks, work with your network designer to request autoconfiguration service as part of the network creation process.

Autoconfiguration Design Guide

There is no one-size-fits-all optimal approach to autoconfiguration; which type you choose, and which DHCP objects you configure in IPAM, will vary depending on how you want to use and administer your network.

The first step is to determine which of the following client behaviors you want to support:

• dynamic address allocation: each client automatically obtains an available IP address which is arbitrary and unpredictable. It doesn’t matter which client gets which IP, or if a particular client gets a different IP next time it comes back. This behavior is the easiest to configure, and requires very little administrative maintenance once set up.
• fixed address allocation: each client automatically obtains an IP address which has been administratively reserved for that client’s exclusive use.  This behavior requires more configuration work in IPAM (new clients must be added and old ones removed), but allows individual client IPs to be stable and predictable.
• manual client configuration: each client device is manually configured with the necessary network parameters, and does not use autoconfiguration at all. This is usually only necessary for devices which do not support autoconfiguration.

It is possible to mix and match, using different behaviors for different clients on the same network, but care must be taken to avoid conflicts!

Next, select the autoconfiguration type that best supports your desired behavior(s) – these are covered in detail in the following sections – and request that type of autoconfiguration service on your network.

Finally, if you’ve chosen DHCPv4 and/or IPv6 Stateful autoconfiguration, configure the desired DHCP objects in IPAM (see Using IPAM for detailed instructions):

• DHCP Ranges (Dynamic Pools) for dynamic address allocation

• DHCP-enabled Host Records and/or DHCP Fixed Addresses for fixed address allocation

  Notes for Microsoft DHCP users

  A Microsoft DHCP “Reservation” corresponds to a “Fixed Address” in IPAM. Avoid the temptation to create a “Reservation” in IPAM; that term refers to a different concept entirely and will not accomplish what you intend.

  Also, there is no need to place Fixed Addresses inside a DHCP Range (a “scope” in Microsoft terms); in fact, it’s best practice to avoid doing this. If you don’t want to use dynamic address allocation behavior on your network, you should not create a DHCP Range at all.

IPv4 Autoconfiguration Types

For IPv4, autoconfiguration is synonymous with DHCPv4, so the standard choices are simple; DHCPv4 is either enabled or disabled for any given network.

Notes:

• Several best practice recommendations are discussed in DHCP Ranges (Dynamic Pools).
• One strategy for preserving flexibility on a mixed-behavior net is to create a DHCP Range near the end of the net (i.e. highest-numbered IPs), and allocate Fixed Addresses, DHCP-enabled Hosts, and static IPs for manual configuration (if any) starting from the beginning of the net (lowest-numbered IPs).

IPv6 Autoconfiguration Types

For IPv6, there are multiple standard implementation choices for autoconfiguration, each supporting different behavior(s):

Notes:

• Where feasible, choose Stateless over Stateful autoconfiguration for your IPv6 networks.
  • Stateless is simpler than Stateful, and significantly easier on the DHCP servers.
  • If your network includes clients without DHCPv6 support, they will still be able to obtain an IPv6 address using Stateless autoconfiguration. Such clients will not learn the IPv6 DNS resolver address or other option values, but in many cases clients can function successfully without this information (e.g. by using IPv4 for DNS resolution, if available).
  • It is easy to migrate between Stateless and Stateful in the future if your requirements change.
• Most modern clients do support DHCPv6, as shown in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_IPv6_support_in_operating_systems.

Limitations of DHCPv6 fixed address allocation

The DHCPv4 protocol specification (RFC 2131) includes a “client hardware address” (chaddr) field which in practice contains the MAC address of the requesting client’s network interface.  This makes it easy for a DHCPv4 server to identify clients by MAC, and to assign fixed address allocations based on the client’s MAC.

The DHCPv6 protocol specification (RFC 3315) does not include a client hardware address field; instead, it defines the DHCP Unique Identifier (DUID) which is intended as an opaque, globally unique, and stable identifier for the whole client device (not just for one of its network interfaces).  Because the MAC address is not included in DHCPv6 messages, there is currently no way for a DHCPv6 server to assign fixed address allocations based on the client’s MAC address; instead, you must configure them based on the client’s DUID.

The challenge is that it can be difficult or impossible to learn the client’s DUID ahead of time.  While the MAC address is a property of the physical hardware, the DUID (for most general-purpose computers, at least) is a software property generated and stored on disk by the operating system.  Depending on your operating system, the DUID may not even exist until it is needed for the first time – and it will almost certainly change if you reinstall the operating system, dual-boot to a second operating system, etc.

Recommendations:

• Where possible, sidestep this issue entirely by using dynamic address allocation instead of fixed.
• If you do require fixed address allocation, make sure you understand the challenges discussed in this section and that you have a strategy for ascertaining client DUIDs.

Other Information

DHCP Standards details important guidelines and recommendations for using the DHCP service, as well as the default configuration parameters that will automatically apply to all networks unless you choose to override them.

Email Alerts explains the automated email notifications that may be sent to network administrators by the DHCP service.