Networking devices using AutoInstall over a LAN connection require a DHCP server to provide an IP address dynamically. The network must be configured to provide IP connectivity between the DHCP server and any devices that are using AutoInstall over LAN connections.

DHCP (defined in RFC 2131) is an extension of the functionality provided by the Bootstrap Protocol (defined in RFC 951). DHCP provides the framework for passing configuration information to hosts on a TCP/IP network. DHCP adds the capability of automatic allocation of reusable network addresses and additional configuration options such as a switch (gateway) IP address, a TFTP server IP address, the name of a boot file to load, and the domain name to use. DHCP servers can be configured on switches, Linux servers, Microsoft Windows-based servers, and other platforms.

DHCP servers typically assign IP addresses from a pool of IP addresses randomly. It is possible for a device that uses DHCP to obtain its IP address to have a different IP address every time it is connected to the network. This creates a problem for the AutoInstall process when you want to ensure that a particular device is assigned a specific hostname during the AutoInstall process. For example, if you are installing switches on different floors in a remote site and each switch is supposed to be assigned a name that indicates its location, such as ChicagoHQ-1st and ChicagoHQ-2nd , you need to ensure that each device gets the IP address that will be mapped to its correct hostname.

The process of ensuring that a device is assigned a specific IP address is referred to as creating a reservation . A reservation is a manually configured relationship between an IP address and a physical layer address of a LAN interface on the device. Many Cisco IOS XE-based devices do not use their MAC address when they request an IP address via DHCP. They use a much longer client identifier instead. Due to the complexity of identifying the client identifier so that you can preconfigure a reservation, and the complexity of finding out if the new device uses its MAC address or the client identifier, we recommend that you allow a new device to obtain an IP address without using a DHCP reservation first in order to discover if the device is using its MAC address or a client identifier. When you have learned how the new device is identifying itself to the DHCP server, you can make a note of the format and create a reservation for it. The next time the new device is rebooted it should obtain the IP address that you reserved to ensure that the new device is assigned the correct hostname. Refer to the information on creating DHCP reservations that was provided with your DHCP server software. The process for creating reservations using Cisco IOS XE based DHCP servers is explained in the Using AutoInstall to Set Up Devices Connected to LANs: Example module. This section includes instructions for identifying the client identifier before the device is connected to the network so that you can preconfigure the DHCP reservations.

Note

This document uses a Cisco device (can be a router or switch that supports DHCP server functions) as the DHCP server for using AutoInstall to configure LAN-connected networking devices. If you are using a different device as your DHCP server ensure that you have the user documentation for it available in the event that you need help configuring it.

Note

There are several configuration parameters such as TFTP server addresses, DNS server addresses, domain names and so on, that can be provided to LAN-connected clients by DHCP servers during the process of assigning IP addresses to clients. These parameters are not required by AutoInstall, therefore they are not included in this document. If you know how to use these parameters you can include them in your DHCP server configuration when you are using AutoInstall to setup your networking devices.

For more information on DHCP services visit the IETF RFC site ( http://www.ietf.org/rfc.html ) and look for RFCs about DHCP. Most server operating systems support DHCP servers. Refer to the documentation that was provided with your operating system for more information.

A device that is being configured with AutoInstall can be any Cisco IOS XE-based switch that supports AutoInstall and does not have a configuration file in its NVRAM.

A staging router acts as an intermediary between the TFTP server (to which it must have IP connectivity) and a device that is being configured with AutoInstall when the new device and the TFTP server are connected to different networks. In the figure below R1 requires a staging router because it is connected to a different LAN segment than the TFTP server.

Staging routers are required in the following situations:

• Devices using AutoInstall over a LAN--If the TFTP and/or DHCP servers and the devices using AutoInstall are on different LAN segments you must use a staging router.

• Devices using AutoInstall over a WAN--If the devices using AutoInstall are connected to a WAN, you must configure the ip helper-address address command on all of the directly connected interfaces that will receive TFTP session initialization requests from the devices that are using AutoInstall.

Staging routers are not required when the new device that is being configured with AutoInstall is connected to the same LAN segment as the TFTP and DHCP servers. In the figure below R2 does not require a staging server to use AutoInstall because it is on the same LAN segment as the TFTP server.