Subject: Bootp/tftp IP address question

From: "David Wason" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 18:03:33 -0400 (EDT)

What is the best way, within the standards, for the bootp response to indicate an IP address other than that of the DHCP server for the location of the tftp function?
We have a device that receives its IP address and downloads its operating software by means of a bootp/tftp process. Up 'till now this device has been using the contents of the server address field of the bootp response as the address of the tftp daemon.  This works fine when the bootp daemon is running on a local processor in the same location as our device.  One of our clients, operating out of multiple locations, has recently implemented a central DHCP server, with DHCP relay daemons running on the local processor at each site.  This results in our devices attempting to use the tftp daemon on the central DHCP server.  For performance reasons it is desirable to return the tftp function to the local processor (the one running the DHCP relay). 
Thanks for any help you can give.

Dave Wason

---

From: Ted Lemon <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 23:40:14 -0400 (EDT)

> What is the best way, within the standards, for the bootp response
> to indicate an IP address other than that of the DHCP server for the
> location of the tftp function?

This is what siaddr is supposed to be used for - if you want to do
tftp from some other IP address, you set siaddr to that IP address.

> For performance reasons it is desirable to
> return the tftp function to the local processor (the one running the
> DHCP relay).  Thanks for any help you can give.

If they're using the ISC DHCP server, in each subnet declaration you
would write a next-server statement with the IP address of the tftp
server.

			       _MelloN_