Operation Manual - Network Protocol 
Quidway S3500 Series Ethernet Switches  Chapter 3  Proxy ARP
 
Huawei Technologies Proprietary 
3-3 
z  Offer stage, the stage when the DHCP server allocates the IP address. After 
receiving the DHCP_Discover message from the client, the DHCP server chooses 
an IP address still available in IP address pool for the client, and sends to the client 
the DHCP_Offer message containing the leased IP address and other settings. 
z  Select stage, the stage when the client selects the IP address. If several DHCP 
servers send DHCP_Offer messages to the client, the client only accepts the first 
received one and then broadcasts DHCP_Request messages respectively to 
those DHCP servers. The message contains the information of IP address request 
from the selected DHCP server. 
z  Acknowledge stage, the stage when the DHCP server acknowledges the IP 
address. When receiving the DHCP_Request message from the client, the DHCP 
server sends the DHCP_ACK message containing the allocated IP address and 
other settings back to the client. Then the DHCP client binds its TCP/IP 
components to the NIC (network interface card). 
Other DHCP servers not selected still can allocate their IP addresses to other clients 
later. 
2)  DHCP client logs into the network for a second time 
When DHCP client logs into the network for a second time, its communication with the 
DHCP server includes these stages: 
z  When the DHCP client logs into the network at the first time, then at later login the 
client only needs to broadcast the DHCP_Request message containing the IP 
address obtained last time, other than the DHCP_Dsicover message. 
z  After the reception of the DHCP_Request message, the DHCP server returns the 
DHCP_ACK message if the requested IP address is still not allocated, to indicate 
the client to continue use of the IP address. 
z  If the requested IP address becomes unavailable (for example, having been 
allocated to another client), the DHCP server returns the DHCP_NAK message. 
After receiving the DHCP_NAK message, the client sends the DHCP_Discover 
message to request another new IP address.   
3)  DHCP client extends its IP lease period 
There is time limit for the IP addresses leased to DHCP clients. The DHCP server shall 
withdraw the IP addresses when their lease period expires. If the DHCP client wants to 
continue use of the old IP address, it has to extend the IP lease. 
In practice, the DHCP client, by default, shall originate the DHCP_Request message to 
the DHCP server right in the middle of the IP lease period, to update the IP lease. If the 
IP address is still available, the DHCP server responds with the DHCP_ACK message, 
notifying the client that it has got the new IP lease.  
The DHCP client implemented on the switch supports automatic IP lease update.