[Kea-users] "filename" vs "option bootfile-name"

[Francis Dupont]

Patrik Lundin writes:
> I am still a bit confused regarding the deprecation state of "file",
> since RFC2132 states the following:
> ===
> 9.5 Bootfile name
> 
>    This option is used to identify a bootfile when the 'file' field in
>    the DHCP header has been used for DHCP options.
> 
>    The code for this option is 67, and its minimum length is 1.
> ===
> 
> This reads to me as if the option should only be used if the 'file' field is
> already being used for options.

=> it is related to RFC 2131:

   The client SHOULD include the 'maximum DHCP message size' option to
   let the server know how large the server may make its DHCP messages.
   The parameters returned to a client may still exceed the space
   allocated to options in a DHCP message.  In this case, two additional
   options flags (which must appear in the 'options' field of the
   message) indicate that the 'file' and 'sname' fields are to be used
   for options.
		     
you can see further text about "overload". But this 19 year old text
doesn't match the current use: tftp-server-name and bootfile-name
options are less ambiguous, have no silly length limits, etc, than
BOOTP fields. But if you have another opinion with good arguments
you can ask for a feature for setting sname and file fields.
(and this list is the right place to discuss about this kind of things)

Regards

Francis Dupont <fdupont at isc.org>