Default Client Configuration Macros

In Solaris DHCP, a macro is a collection of network configuration options and their assigned values. Macros are used to determine what network configuration information to send to a DHCP client.

During the initial configuration of the DHCP server, several macros are created, using information gathered from system files and from prompting the system administrator:

• Network address macro, named using the IP address of the client network, and containing information needed by any client that is part of the network, such as subnet mask, network broadcast address, default router or router discovery token, and NIS/NIS+ domain and server if the server is using NIS/NIS+. Other options applicable to your network might be included.

• Locale macro, which contains the offset (in seconds) from Universal Time to specify the time zone.

• Server macro, named using the server's host name, and containing information about the lease policy, time server, DNS domain, and DNS server, and possibly other information that the configuration program was able to obtain from system files. This macro includes the locale macro.

The network address macro is automatically processed for all clients located on that network. The locale macro is included in the server macro, so it is processed when the server macro is processed.

While configuring IP addresses for the first network, you must select a client configuration macro to be used for all DHCP clients using the addresses you are configuring. By default, the server macro is selected because it is contains information needed by all clients using this server. Clients receive the options contained in the network address macro before those in the server macro. See "Order of Macro Processing" for more information about macro processing order.