DNS/DHCP Administration
Articles and Tips: qna
01 Dec 2002
Q.
We have a large flat network with forty different eDirectory trees. (Every tree has its own management.) The problem is that there is a Tree that brought up a Novell DNS/DHCP server. Since we have a large flat network, any DNS/DHCP server needs to be setup in Bootp emulation (static IP to MAC address), which they have done for their clients.
However, now this department is starting to service their SLP settings via this mechanism. As such, clients not associated with that tree are receiving the wrong SLP information at their boot-up time. To make matters worse, these clients have hard-coding for their own tree's SLP settings. But what we have found is if you turn off the Novell client setting (through Advanced Settings|Use DHCP for SLP), the clients get connected to their own tree without a problem.
Since we cannot control the problem server/tree's push of SLP settings nor the multiple other trees on campus and the thousands of users settings, I am wondering if there is an adjustment that can be made to the DNS/DHCP server to only serve its bootp clients through the SLP settings?
Bill Bus Benton
A.
Dear Bill: I have a couple of thoughts for your predicament. First, such a network really ought to be routed in order to cut the broadcast and multicast traffic, and in so doing you may also control where Bootp requests go. Second, I suspect the SLP data is being placed in the global configuration section of DHCP rather than tied to the profiles of individual stations. If this is so, then a DHCP INFORM query will be answered by any of their DHCP servers. Hopefully this helps.
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
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