Management of IP numbers by peg-dhcp
RFC 2322
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
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