# US 2007/0183426 A1 · Method and system for optimizing performance and availability of a dynamic host configuration protocol (dhcp) service > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2007/0183426 A1 - Document ID: US20070183426A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/696,756 - Filed: 2007-04-05 - Published: 2007-08-09 - Earliest claimed: 1999-08-20 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Olivier DAUDE; Olivier HERICOURT - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20070183426A1 ## CPC - H04L 41/5096: {wherein the managed service relates to distributed or central networked applications} - H04L 41/5012: {determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time} - H04L 61/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming - H04L 67/1008: based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload (monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30) - H04L 67/1012: based on compliance of requirements or conditions with available server resources - H04L 67/1029: using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer - H04L 67/1001: for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers - H04L 67/10015: {Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method and system for monitoring and optimizing performance and availability of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service provided by one or a plurality of DHCP servers (602) in an Internet Protocol (IP) network comprising one or a plurality of IP subnetworks. The method comprises in a DHCP server (602) defining one or a plurality of groups of subnetworks, a group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks; retrieving information related to resources, in particular IP addresses, allocated within said DHCP server to each group of subnetworks; transferring said information to a DHCP service monitoring system (600). The method comprises in a DHCP service monitoring system (403) retrieving (501 to 505) from one or a plurality of DHCP servers (401), information related to resources, in particular IP addresses, allocated within each DHCP server (401) to groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a pluarlity of subnetworks and aggregating (506 to 511) the information for each group of subnetworks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for monitoring and optimizing performance and availability of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service provided by one or a plurality of DHCP servers in an Internet Protocol (IP) network comprising one or a plurality of IP subnetworks, said method comprising in a DHCP server the steps of: defining one or a plurality of groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks; retrieving information related to resources, in particular IP addresses, allocated within said DHCP server to each group of subnetworks; and transferring said information to a DHCP service monitoring system, said DHCP service monitoring system comprising means for retrieving said information from the one or the plurality of DHCP servers and means for aggregating said information for each group of subnetworks, wherein the performance and availability of the DHCP service is monitored and optimized based on information aggregated for each group of subnetworks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of retrieving information related to resources allocated to each group of subnetworks comprises the further step of: determining a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to each group of subnetworks, the total number of IP addresses of a group of subnetworks being equal to the sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each network defined within said group of subnetworks. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of retrieving information related to resources allocated to each group of subnetworks comprises the further step of: determining a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each group of subnetworks, the total number of IP addresses of a group of subnetworks being equal to the sum of the IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within said group of subnetworks. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3 comprising the further step of: storing the total number of IP addresses presently allocated to each group and/or that can be potentially allocated to each group of subnetworks in a file within the DHCP server. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A system, in particular a DHCP server, adapted for carrying out the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A computer readable medium comprising instructions adapted for carrying out the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method optimally adjusts configuration parameters. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method detects a capacity problem of the one or a plurality of DHCP servers to anticipate DHCP service degradation or disruption. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising collecting information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring utilization of IP address pools using probes. ### Claim 11 A method for monitoring and optimizing performance and availability of a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service provided by one or a plurality of DHCP servers in an Internet Protocol (IP) network comprising one or a plurality of IP subnetworks, said method comprising in a DHCP service monitoring system the steps of: retrieving from the one or a plurality of DHCP servers, information related to resources, in particular IP addresses, allocated within each DHCP server to groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks; aggregating said information for each group of subnetworks; and monitoring and optimizing performance and availability of the DHCP service based on the information aggregated for each group of subnetworks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the retrieved information comprises for each DHCP server a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to each group of subnetworks, the total number of IP addresses of a group of subnetworks in a DHCP server being equal to the sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each subnetwork defined within said group of subnetworks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the retrieved information comprises for each DHCP server a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each group of subnetworks, the total number of IP addresses of a group of subnetworks in a DHCP server being equal to the sum of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within said group of subnetworks. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, further comprising: recording said one or plurality of DHCP servers in a list. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of aggregating said information for each group of subnetworks comprises the further steps of: building a list of groups of subnetworks using information retrieved from DHCP servers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of aggregating said information for a group of subnetworks comprises the further step of: determining a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to said group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, the total number of IP addresses being equal to the sum of IP addresses presently allocated to said group of subnetworks in each DHCP server. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of aggregating said information for a group of subnetworks comprises the further step of: determining a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to said group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, the total number of IP addresses being equal to the sum of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to said group of subnetworks in each DHCP server. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) A computer readable medium comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to claim 7. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the method optimally adjusts configuration parameters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the method detects a capacity problem of the one or a plurality of DHCP servers to anticipate DHCP service degradation or disruption. ### Claim 21 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising collecting information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes. ### Claim 22 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising measuring utilization of IP address pools using probes.