At-A-Glance

DHCP for IPv6

(RFC3315)

Last updated: March 2008 The DHCPv6 client will know when it wants to use Table 1 DHCPv6 vs. DHCPv4 Message Type Comparison
DHCPv6, either based upon instruction of an attached
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for IPv6 DHCPv6 Message Type DHCPv4 Message Type
router, or when no default gateway is present. The
(DHCPv6) has been standardized by the IETF through SOLICIT (1) DHCPDISCOVER
default gateway has two configurable bits in an Router
RFC3315. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for ADVERTISE (2) DHCPOFFER
Advertisement (RA) available for this purpose:
IPv6 (DHCP) enables DHCP servers to pass configura- REQUEST (3), RENEW (5), REBIND (6) DHCPREQUEST
tion parameters, such as IPv6 network addresses, to IPv6 • ‘O’ bit—When this bit is set, the client can use
REPLY (7) DHCPACK/DHCPNAK
nodes. It offers the capability of automatic allocation of DHCPv6 to retrieve Other configuration parameters
RELEASE (8) DHCPRELEASE
reusable network addresses and additional configuration (ie: DNS addresses)
INFORMATION-REQUEST (11) DHCPINFORM
flexibility. This protocol is a stateful counterpart to "IPv6 • ‘M’ bit—When this bit is set, the client may use
Stateless Address Autoconfiguration" (RFC 2462), and DHCPv6 to retrieve a Managed IPv6 address from a DECLINE (9) DHCPDECLINE
can be used separately, or concurrently with the latter, to DHCPv6 server CONFIRM (4) none
obtain configuration parameters. RECONFIGURE (10) DHCPFORCERENEW
When a router sends an RA with ‘O’ bit set, but does
The basic DHCPv6 client-server concept is similar RELAY-FORW (12), RELAY-REPLY (13) none
not set the ‘M’ bit, the client can do Stateless Address
to using DHCP for IPv4. If a client wishes to receive Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) to obtain its IPv6 address,
configuration parameters, it will send out a request on New DHCPv6 Message Type Overview
and use DHCPv6 for obtaining additional information.
the attached local network to detect available DHCPv6 CONFIRM (4)
(An example of additional information is DNS). This
servers. This done through the “Solicit” and “Advertise” A client sends a Confirm message to any available
mechanism is well known as Stateless DHCPv6,
messages. Well known DHCPv6 Multicast addresses server to determine whether the addresses it was
because the DHCPv6 server does not need to keep
are used for this process. Next, the DHCPv6 client will assigned are still appropriate to the link to which the
track of the client address bindings.
”Request” parameters from an available server which will client is connected.
respond with the requested information with a “Reply” DHCPv6 uses an architecture concept of “options”
RELAY-FORW (12)
message. The diagram below demonstrates to carry additional parameters and information within
A relay agent sends a Relay-forward message to relay
the sequence of events: DHCPv6 messages. These options are aligned in Type-
messages to servers, either directly or through another
Length-Value (TLV) structure. Each Type and Length field
DHCPv6 Client Reply DHCPv6 Server
relay agent.
5 has a length of 16 bits, with a variable length available for
Request
4 the Value field. RELAY-REPL (13)
Advertise A server sends a Relay-reply message to a relay
3 32 bits
Solicit agent containing a message that the relay agent
2 8 bits 24 bits
delivers to a client.
Message Type Transaction ID
1
RA with ‘O’ and/or ‘M’ bit set

Options (Variable length)

 At-A-Glance
DHCP for IPv6
(RFC3315)

Central DHCPv6 performs on the assumption that the DHCPv6 Note:

DHCPv6 DHCPv6 server is directly attached to the LAN segment of the DHCP Unique Identifier (DUID)—Each DHCPv6
Client DHCPv6 Server
Relay client. If this is not the situation (which is the case in ­component has a DUID (DHCPv6 Unique Identifier)
most deployments), then the DHCPv6 server can be which is used to identify the device when exchanging
Network
replaced by a DHCPv6 Relay agent. This Relay agent will DHCPv6 messages.
­encapsulate the received messages from the directly
IA_NA Option—Options related to an IPv6 Address
connected DHCPv6 client, and forward these encapsu-
DHCPv6 Solicit Message Relayed Solicit Message
lated DHCPv6 packets towards the DHCPv6 server. In hop-count—Number of relay agents that have relayed
Msg-type
(Relay-Forw) the opposite direction, the Relay Agent will decapsulate this message
Msg-type
(Solicit)
Hop-count
the packets received from the central DHCPv6 Server.
(0)
link-address—A global or site-local address that will be
Link-address
Transaction-id (2001:db8:BEEF::) Well known multicast addresses commonly used with used by the server to identify the link on which the client
(12) Peer-address
(2001:DB8:1234:0:218:FEFF:FEFB:CC0E)
DHCPv6 are: is located.
Options
Msg-type
(Solicit) • “ff02:::1:2” (All DHCPv6 relay agents and servers) peer-address—The address of the client or relay agent
Transaction-id
(12) • “ff05::1:3” (All DHCPv6 Servers) from which the message to be relayed was received.
IA_NA Option Options
ia-na (3) option (12 bytes)
(iaid 1, t1 0, t2 0)
Well known port numbers:
IA_NA Option

•
ia-na (3) option (12 bytes)
(iaid 1, t1 0, t2 0) Clients listen for DHCP messages on UDP port 546
DUID Option DUID Option • Servers and relay agents listen for DHCP messages
client-identifier (1) option (10 bytes)
00:03:00:01:01:02:03:04:05:06
client-identifier (1) option (10 bytes)
00:03:00:01:01:02:03:04:05:06 on UDP port 547

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