RFC 3004 (rfc3004) - Page 2 of 6
The User Class Option for DHCP
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
RFC 3004 The User Class Option for DHCP November 2000
2. Requirements Terminology
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
"SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY" and "OPTIONAL" in this
document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119 [3].
3. DHCP Terminology
o "DHCP client"
A DHCP client or "client" is an Internet host using DHCP to obtain
configuration parameters such as a network address.
o "DHCP server"
A DHCP server or "server" is an Internet host that returns
configuration parameters to DHCP clients.
o "binding"
A binding is a collection of configuration parameters, including at
least an IP address, associated with or "bound to" a DHCP client.
Bindings are managed by DHCP servers.
4. User Class option
This option is used by a DHCP client to optionally identify the type
or category of user or applications it represents. A DHCP server
uses the User Class option to choose the address pool it allocates an
address from and/or to select any other configuration option.
This option is a DHCP option [1, 2].
This option MAY carry multiple User Classes. Servers may interpret
the meanings of multiple class specifications in an implementation
dependent or configuration dependent manner, and so the use of
multiple classes by a DHCP client should be based on the specific
server implementation and configuration which will be used to process
that User class option.
The format of this option is as follows:
Code Len Value
+-----+-----+--------------------- . . . --+
| 77 | N | User Class Data ('Len' octets) |
+-----+-----+--------------------- . . . --+
where Value consists of one or more instances of User Class Data.
Each instance of User Class Data is formatted as follows:
Stump, et al. Standards Track