[Kea-users] Kea 2.6.5: hosts-database with PostgreSQL not querying database during DHCP lease allocation

Thu May 21 14:24:48 UTC 2026

Thanks Darren! We do have hosts-database configured with PostgreSQL with something like you have below and a bit more data and both host_cmds and pgsql_cb hooks loaded. Logs show the database opens successfully at startup. But DHCP clients still receive pool IPs instead of database-reserved IPs. What else might be missing to enable database host reservation queries during lease assignment?

Ask if there's a specific parameter or hook configuration needed, or if this might be a Kea 2.6.5 limitation with database hosts in HA load-balancing mode.

see below

hosts-database": {
  "type": "postgresql",
  "host": "10.40.31.7",
  "port": 5000,
  "name": "kea",
  "user": "kea",
  "password": can't show here lol
  "on-fail": "serve-retry-continue",
  "retry-on-startup": true,
  "max-reconnect-tries": 10,
  "reconnect-wait-time": 3000
}

-----Original Message-----
From: Kea-users <kea-users-bounces at lists.isc.org> On Behalf Of Darren Ankney
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2026 9:04 AM
To: Kea user's list <kea-users at lists.isc.org>
Subject: Re: [Kea-users] Kea 2.6.5: hosts-database with PostgreSQL not querying database during DHCP lease allocation

> Config-file reservations work, database ones don't

Hi Eddie,

Please check if you have in your configuration the hosts-database section as described here:
https://kea.readthedocs.io/en/kea-2.6.5/arm/dhcp4-srv.html#hosts-storage
It might look something like this:

"hosts-database": {
        "type": "mysql",
        "name": "kea",
        "user": "kea",
        "password": "secret123",
        "host": "localhost",
        "port": 3306
    }

merely loading the host_cmds hook is not enough to enable storage of host reservations in the database.

Thank you,
Darren Ankney

On Wed, May 20, 2026 at 9:24 PM Eddie Taylor <eddie.taylor at data443.com> wrote:
>
>
> Attacheced are logs
>
> Environment:
>
> Kea 2.6.5 (stable)
> 3-server HA cluster (load-balancing mode) PowerDNS servers:
> 10.40.31.1, 10.40.31.2, 10.40.31.3 PostgreSQL backend: 10.40.31.7:5000
> via PgBouncer Database schema: 22.2
> Configuration:
>
> hosts-database configured on all 3 servers with PostgreSQL connection
> details All required hooks loaded: libdhcp_host_cmds.so,
> libdhcp_lease_cmds.so, libdhcp_ha.so, libdhcp_pgsql_cb.so HA is
> healthy and working correctly
>
>
> Kea version: 2.6.5
> Hook: libdhcp_pgsql_cb.so loading successfully
> Database: PostgreSQL hosts database opening at startup
> Reproduction: VM MAC bc:24:11:43:b0:19 configured with reserved IP
> 10.40.3.185 in database, but receives pool IP 10.40.3.164 on DHCP
> lease request Config-file reservations work, database ones don't Logs
> showing successful pgsql_cb initialization
>
> This appears to be either:
>
> A bug in Kea 2.6.5 pgsql_cb integration Missing configuration
> parameter Or unsupported feature in this version
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kea-users <kea-users-bounces at lists.isc.org> On Behalf Of Doug
> Freed
> Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 6:02 PM
> To: kea-users at lists.isc.org
> Subject: Re: [Kea-users] Kea 2.6.5: hosts-database with PostgreSQL not
> querying database during DHCP lease allocation
>
> On 5/12/26 15:03, Eddie Taylor wrote:
> > Sorry for the delay had an issue to address.
> >
> > root at p-powerdns-001 ~]# grep -A 100 '"hooks-libraries"'
> > /etc/kea/kea- dhcp4.conf | grep -A 1 "library"
> >
> >          "library": "/usr/lib64/kea/hooks/libdhcp_lease_cmds.so"
> >
> >        },
> >
> > --
> >
> >          "library": "/usr/lib64/kea/hooks/libdhcp_ha.so",
> >
> >          "parameters": {
> >
> > --
> >
> >          "library": "/usr/lib64/kea/hooks/libdhcp_host_cmds.so"
> >
> >        },
> >
> > --
> >
> >          "library": "/usr/lib64/kea/hooks/libdhcp_pgsql_cb.so"
> >
> >        }
> >
> > [root at p-powerdns-001 ~]#
> >
> > *From:*Kea-users <kea-users-bounces at lists.isc.org> *On Behalf Of
> > *Peter Davies
> > *Sent:* Tuesday, May 12, 2026 11:47 AM
> > *To:* kea-users at lists.isc.org
> > *Subject:* Re: [Kea-users] Kea 2.6.5: hosts-database with PostgreSQL
> > not querying database during DHCP lease allocation
> >
> > Hi Eddie,
> >    What does your "hosts-database" definition look like?
> >
> > Have you remembered to load the host commands hooks library
> > "libdhcp_host_cmds.so"
> >
> > See: https://kea.readthedocs.io/en/kea-2.6.5/arm/hooks.html#libdhcp-
> > host-cmds-so-host-commands
> > <https://kea.readthedocs.io/en/kea-2.6.5/arm/
> > hooks.html#libdhcp-host-cmds-so-host-commands>
> >
> > /Peter
> >
> > On 12/05/2026 17.25, Eddie Taylor wrote:
> >
> >     According to kb.isc.org/docs/aa-01615 (Kea Significant Features
> >     Matrix), Kea 2.6 should support Host Reservations Mode (Global). We
> >     have hosts-database configured with PostgreSQL, the schema is
> >     correct (22.2), host reservations exist in the database with correct
> >     data, but Kea 2.6.5 is not querying the database during DHCP lease
> >     assignment. No special hook is indicated as required for Kea 2.6
> >     host reservations in the matrix. What's missing or broken?
> >
> >     All email and communication should be considered private and
> >     protected personal and shall be secured under all applicable laws.
> >     Any recipient, who has access to any contained information,
> >     regardless of purpose or medium is so advised, bound and obligated
> >     to handle as such.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Peter Davies
> >
> > Support Engineer
> >
> > Internet Systems Corporation
> >
> > All email and communication should be considered private and
> > protected personal and shall be secured under all applicable laws.
> > Any recipient, who has access to any contained information,
> > regardless of purpose or medium is so advised, bound and obligated to handle as such.
> >
>
> My first recommendation would be to crank the logging up to DEBUG level 99, and trigger some clients to request a lease that should be getting a reservation.  Post the logs here on the list and somebody can probably figure out what's going wrong.  It would likely also be helpful to have your full configuration.
>
> -Doug
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