[Info-vax] DHCP problems on OpenVMS 9.2 x86

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2023-04-25 12:09:31 +0000, Simon Clubley said:

> On 2023-04-25, Jan-Erik Söderholm <jan-erik.soderholm at telia.com> wrote:
>> Den 2023-04-25 kl. 01:41, skrev fsword007 at gmail.com:
>> 
>>> Folks,
>>> 
>>> Does anyone have any solution for fixing DHCP client problems?
>>> 
>> 
>> On VMS?
>> "Don't use it", is the easiest solution.

Yes, and usually the best solution.

There was another thread a week ago discussing this same mess:

https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.vms/c/9RPWo0gNj-k/m/upZoZK_KAAAJ

DHCP is a mess on OpenVMS, and long has been.

DHCP client works mostly well enough for the old VAX workstation 
support where it originated, and not so well for server usage.

For the OpenVMS boxes, I'll set the MAC in the DHCP server and assign a 
static address, and set the OpenVMS box to static. More work than 
should be needed, but the IP address assignments are coordinated.

> I would like to know what the obsession is with DHCP _client_ on a 
> _server_ operating system.

That works fine with a modern operating system with integrated 
networking, and with modern networking tools, and that have had some 
experience running with DHCP-assigned addresses in production.

Particularly involving configurations with DHCP servers with integrated 
DDNS, as servers need reliable reverse DNS for secure connections.

The current non-integrated design of IP networking on OpenVMS is well 
past its prime, too. IP won. DECnet lost. ~Thirty years ago.

> About the only _possible_ use I can see for it is within a small 
> home/office environment when VMS is being used as a workstation, not a 
> server, and that's not exactly a place for VMS

DHCP client is commonly used for hosted servers, among other use cases. 
Servers that are installed in these environments also typically boot up 
with SSH access configured and available, avoiding the need for a 
console serial line. Because IP and TLS and SSH are all viewed as 
integrated capabilities of the operating system, not as add-ons and 
optional features. The whole of TCPIP$CONFIG is just hilariously 
overcomplicated, too. And yes, I'm still chuckling about that 
SHOWDHC[P] command.


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