Management of IP numbers by peg-dhcp
RFC 2322

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Network Working Group                                    K. van den Hout
Request for Comments: 2322                           HvU/HIP-networkteam
Category: Informational                                        A. Koopal
                                                UUnet NL/HIP-networkteam
                                                             R. van Mook
                                    University of Twente/HIP-networkteam
                                                            1 April 1998

                  Management of IP numbers by peg-dhcp

Status of this Memo

   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  It does
   not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of this
   memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1998).  All Rights Reserved.

Introduction

   This RFC describes a protocol to dynamically hand out ip-numbers on
   field networks and small events that don't necessarily have a clear
   organisational body.

   It can also provide some fixed additional fields global for all
   clients like netmask and even autoproxyconfigs. It does not depend on
   a particular ip-stack.

History of the protocol.

   The practice of using pegs for assigning IP-numbers was first used at
   the HIP event (http://www.hip97.nl/). HIP stands for Hacking In
   Progress, a large three-day event where more then a thousand hackers
   from all over the world gathered. This event needed to have a TCP/IP
   lan with an Internet connection.  Visitors and participants of the
   HIP could bring along computers and hook them up to the HIP network.

   During preparations for the HIP event we ran into the problem of how
   to assign IP-numbers on such a large scale as was predicted for the
   event without running into troubles like assigning duplicate numbers
   or skipping numbers. Due to the variety of expected computers with
   associated IP stacks a software solution like a Unix DHCP server
   would probably not function for all cases and create unexpected
   technical problems.

van den Hout, et. al.        Informational                      [Page 1]
RFC 2322          Management of IP numbers by peg-dhcp      1 April 1998

   So a way of centrally administrating IP-numbers and giving them out
   to people to use on their computers had to be devised. After some
   discussion, the idea came up of using wooden clothes-pegs. Using pegs
   has the following advantages in respect to other methods:

      - cheap
      - a peg is a 'token' and represents one IP-number, therefore
        making the status of the IP-number (allocated or not allocated)
        visible.
      - a peg can be clipped to a network cable giving a very clear
        view of where a given IP-number is in use.

   Credits for the original idea of using wooden pegs go to Daniel
   Ockeloen.

The server.

   The server can have many appearances. At HIP it was a large tent
   situated at the central field where all the activities were. It can
   also be a small table in the corner of a terminalroom.

   The server can hand out two parts to the client, the peg and a paper
   with additional fields fixed for the site the server is running for.
   We will describe both here.

The peg.

   On the peg the IP-number is mentioned. The text on the peg can be
   described according to the following BNF:

   Total ::== IP | Net

   IP ::== num.num.num.num | num.num | num

   Net ::== num.num.num/mask | num.num/mask | num/mask

   num ::== {1..255}

   mask ::== {8..31}

   The Net-method of writing larger nets is an optional part of the
   protocol, it doesn't have to be implemented. If it is implemented, it
   requires more administration at the server (see below).

   The short versions of the IP-number with only 1 or 2 chunks are meant
   for large servers where writing the whole number on the peg is just
   boring and time-consuming. It requires the prefix to be mentioned on
   the additional field paper, but that can be produced in more

van den Hout, et. al.        Informational                      [Page 2]
RFC 2322          Management of IP numbers by peg-dhcp      1 April 1998

   convenient ways. It is not recommended to work with more prefixes. It
   is better to write more numbers on the peg and use a smaller prefix.

   If the network to be numbered is rather large and some kind of
   subnetting has to be implemented it is possible to give the pegs from
   the different subnets different colors. This has proven to be a very
   convenient way at HIP.

The additional vendorfield paper.

   This part is meant for information that is fixed for the whole site.
   It can either be implemented as small printed notes handed out with
   the peg or as a large paper billboard hung at a convenient place
   where everybody can read it.

   The information can be described with the following BNF:

   Network ::== num.num.num.num

   Netmask ::== num.num.num.num | num