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Re: bootp vs. dhcp



In message <[🔎] 20011010234735.A7639@fishbowl.madduck.net>, martin f krafft writes:
> could someone please explain to me (or provide me with a
> comprehensive link) the main difference between bootp and dhcp? 

Excerpt from http://www.dhcp-handbook.com/dhcp_faq.html#hiidt

    5.How is it different than BOOTP or RARP? 

        DHCP is based on BOOTP and maintains some backward
        compatibility. The main difference is that BOOTP was designed
        for manual pre-configuration of the host information in a
        server database, while DHCP allows for dynamic allocation of
        network addresses and configurations to newly attached hosts.
        Additionally, DHCP allows for recovery and reallocation of
        network addresses through a leasing mechanism. 

        RARP is a protocol used by Sun and other vendors that allows a
        computer to find out its own IP number, which is one of the
        protocol parameters typically passed to the client system by
        DHCP or BOOTP. RARP doesn't support other parameters and using
        it, a server can only serve a single LAN. DHCP and BOOTP are
        designed so they can be routed. 

How did I find this information so easily???

    http://google.com/search?DHCP+FAQ

LESSON: Google is your friend!!! ;-) Seriously.

Conclusion: If you need fine grained control of remote booting
mac address identified machines to load kernels or mount root
filesystems, bootp was designed for it.  Still, dhcp will work just
fine in this capacity.  If you're going to use dhcp to dynamically
allocate any block of addresses on your network, you may as well use
it to work in place of a bootp server as well.


--
Chad Walstrom <chewie@wookimus.net>                 | a.k.a. ^chewie
http://www.wookimus.net/                            | s.k.a. gunnarr
Key fingerprint = B4AB D627 9CBD 687E 7A31  1950 0CC7 0B18 206C 5AFD



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