djl@mips.COM (Dan Levin) (05/17/89)
I have a question about bootp policy. If a client sends a bootp request
packet with a boot file specified, the server has two choices if it
recognizes the internet address of the requestor (ie. has that client
in his bootptab file) but does not have the requested file (ie. neither
the file nor the file.hostname exists on that server).
The server can either ignore the request, on the logic that the client
knows what is best, and if he asked for a file by name, I should only
answer if I have that particular file.
Or the server can reply, but replace the requested file name with the
file specified for that host in the bootptab file, on the logic that
since I know who this guy is (he is in my bootptab) so I will offer to
boot him with the file that I DO have. I will leave the choice of
using my file or someone elses up to him, but I will at least have made
him the offer.
Which policy should the robust server support? The RFC is ambiguous
on this issue.
--
***dan
{decwrl,pyramid,ames}!mips!djl djl@mips.com (No, Really! Trust Me.)dab@VAX.FTP.COM (05/17/89)
I'd say the server shouldn't reply if it doesn't have the requested file. Not only does the client knows best, but there is likely to be another bootp server that has the boot load that the client is looking for. David Bridgham