Re: [Sheflug] Slightly OT: Configuring IP addresses

[nospam [at] alexhudson.com]

On Fri, Apr 06, 2001 at 03:20:08PM +0100, wulfie wrote:
> I've configured network cards in networked devices where the only option was
> RARP, no DHCP or BOOTP support at all. You may be surprised how many
> organisations run static IP networks.

Yes, I realise all this and the other points you raise. My post was prefaced
by - "what are the 'specs' for this?". I was trying to give another option -
and also, in a way, show it's not something that's possible :(. 

Most configurations of this type are done locally (usually on the same
switch) - it's much like configuring an intelligent switch. But, you can
make more intelligent choices based on your assumptions. If you want
something that will _always_ work, you can't rely on ARP - you don't always
get to see it, esp. on modern networks. You can't always ping machines
(network nazis, errr, admins, occasionally turn off icmp, even internally),
there is always going to be some topology which will break things. You have
to specify under what conditions it needs to work, and find the best
solution for that. How often do they need to change IP? Do they need to be
accessed from other subnets? What are the security implications of accessing
them - will they be publically accessible? 

I don't really see any problem with doing it DHCP - most printers have this
option, for example, as well as static ip. If you want to configure
remotely, DHCP is by far and away the best option, esp. going over subnets.
Doing things automatically isn't always easy - if these things are going to
discover ip addresses for themselves, they need a method of getting the
information back to them, and that's dhcp - no point reinventing wheels.
But, as I said, it all depends on what they need to be able to do. Define
the requirements, create the tech spec from that - not the other way around.

Cheers,

Alex.

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