US-20260129019-A1 - INTERNET ADDRESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

US20260129019A1US 20260129019 A1US20260129019 A1US 20260129019A1US-20260129019-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods for simplifying the assignment and management of IP addresses are provided. In examples, a DHCP relay agent system receives an IP address request or similar discover message from a client computing device and forwards the request to one or more DHCP servers. In addition to forwarding the request, the DHCP relay agent system may be configured to append and forward information related to the DHCP negotiation process to a DHCP server. For example, the indication of operations may include executable instructions, such as opcodes, that facilitate the offer of an IP address lease. Parameters necessary for executing the operations, such as operands, may also be appended. In examples, the DHCP server may effectively operate as a processor, virtual processor, or virtual machine in the lease negotiation process, where IP address assignment or management decisions are pre-defined by the configuration information of the DHCP relay agent system.

Inventors

Dean Ballew
John R.B. WOODWORTH

Assignees

CENTURYLINK INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260105

Claims (14)

1 . A method, comprising: receiving, at a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) relay agent system, a DHCP discover message from a client device; determining, by the DHCP relay agent system, operations to be performed by a first DHCP server in order to respond to the discover request and parameters for the operations; sending an indication of the operations and the parameters to at least the first DHCP server; receiving, from the first DHCP server, an offer for an internet protocol (IP) address from the first DHCP server; forwarding the offer to the client device; receiving, from the client device, a request for the IP address; receiving an indication of a lease for the IP address; and forwarding the indication of the lease to the client device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the operations and the parameters comprise instructions to the first DHCP server for how to generate the offer.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions comprise one of the IP address or identification of another DHCP server from which the first DHCP server should obtain the IP address.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions comprise a first IP address to be used for the offer if a condition is true and second IP address to be used for the offer if the condition is false.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further comprise identification of a server to notify after the lease is provided to the client device.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the operations and the parameters comprises a message that is signed using a secret shared between the DHCP relay agent system and the first DHCP server.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein indication of the operations and the parameters is sent in a message to an Anycast address served by the first DHCP server and by at least a second DHCP server.
8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further comprise a user token for the client device and an indication of a server at which to authenticate the user token.
9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the instructions further comprise an indication to release an earlier lease for the client device.
10 . A system, comprising: at least one processor; and memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising: receiving, by a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) relay agent, a DHCP discover message from a client device; determining, by the DHCP relay agent, operations to be performed by a DHCP server in order to respond to the discover request; determining parameters associated with the operations; sending, by the DHCP relay agent, an indication of the operations and the parameters to at least a first DHCP server; receiving, by the DHCP relay agent, an offer for an internet protocol (IP) address from the first DHCP server; forwarding, by the DHCP relay agent, the offer to the client device; receiving, from the client device, a request for the IP address; receiving, by the DHCP relay agent, an indication of a lease for the IP address; and forwarding, by the DHCP relay agent, the indication of the lease to the client device.
11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the operations and the parameters comprise instructions to the first server for how to generate the offer.
12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the instructions comprise one of the IP address or identification of another server from which the first server should obtain the IP address.
13 . The system of claim 11 wherein the instructions further comprise identification of a server to notify after the lease is provided to the client device.
14 . The system of claim 11 wherein the instructions further comprise a user token for the client device and an indication of a server at which to authenticate the user token.

Description

BACKGROUND Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) servers dynamically issue internet protocol (IP) addresses to various requesting computing devices. However, a DHCP server can quickly become overburdened or unexpectedly fail. In either case, services provided by the DHCP server may be disrupted and cause internet connectivity issues with computing devices to which the DHCP server has provided, or is configured to provide, IP addresses. It is with respect to this general environment to which present aspects are directed. SUMMARY This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. In aspects, the present application discloses a method. In examples, the method may require receiving, at a DHCP relay agent system, configuration information for the DHCP relay agent system; receiving, at the DHCP relay agent system, a DHCP discover message from a client device; determining, by the DHCP relay agent system and based on the configuration information, operations to be performed by a DHCP server in order to respond to the discover request and parameters for the operations; sending an indication of the operations and the parameters to at least a first DHCP server; receiving, from the DHCP server, an offer for an IP address from the first DHCP server; forwarding the offer to the client device; receiving, from the client device, a request for the IP address; receiving an indication of a lease for the IP address; and forwarding the indication of the lease to the client device. In aspects, the present application also discloses another method, comprising: receiving, at a first dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server, a DHCP client device discover message from a DHCP relay agent system; receiving, at the first DHCP server, an indication of operations to be performed by the first DHCP server, and parameters associated with the operations, from the DHCP relay agent system; executing, by the first DHCP server, the operations using the parameters; and responding to the received client device discover message with an offer for an internet protocol (IP) address lease, based on executing the operations. In aspects, the present application also discloses a system, comprising at least one processor, and memory, operatively connected to the at least one processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method. In aspects, the method comprises: receiving configuration information at a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) relay agent; receiving, by the DHCP relay agent, a DHCP discover message from a client device; determining, by the DHCP relay agent and based on the configuration information, operations to be performed by a DHCP server in order to respond to the discover request; determining parameters associated with the operations; sending, by the DHCP relay agent, an indication of the operations and the parameters to at least a first DHCP server; receiving, by the DHCP relay agent, an offer for an internet protocol (IP) address from the first DHCP server; forwarding, by the DHCP relay agent, the offer to the client device; receiving, from the client device, a request for the IP address; receiving, by the DHCP relay agent, an indication of a lease for the IP address; and forwarding, by the DHCP relay agent, the indication of the lease to the client device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following drawing figures, which form a part of this application, are illustrative of aspects of systems and methods described below and are not meant to limit the scope of the disclosure in any manner, which scope shall be based on the claims. FIG. 1 depicts an example computer network system. FIG. 2 depicts an example method in which aspects of the present technology may be practiced by a DHCP relay agent system. FIG. 3 depicts an example method in which aspects of the present technology may be practiced by a DHCP server. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example physical components of a computing device with which aspects of the present technology may be practiced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrations specific embodiments or examples. These aspects may be combined, other aspects may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the present disclosure. Examples may be practiced as methods, systems or devices. Accordingly, examples may take the form of a hardware implementation, an entirely software implementation, or an implementation combining software and hardware aspects. The following detail