[occi-wg] Networks: attributes and verbs

[Richard Davies]

> > > > Linking to a network
> > > > --------------------
> > > > Finally, there are a few attributes which can specified on the link
> > > > when a server is linked to a network:
> >
> > ...
> > > > - Local DHCP (e.g. the server operating system is internally
> > > >   configured to DHCP. I am connecting it to the public internet, and
> > > >   want it to appear with my assigned public static IP. Please send a
> > > >   DHCP response with that specific IP address).
> > >
> > > Hmm... sounds unnecessary. Once you've assigned an IP to a server if
> > > you want to make life easier by offering it over DHCP then go right
> > > ahead... I don't see the use case otherwise.
> >
> > That one's actually pretty important to us at least: >50% of our servers
> > work this way.
> >
> > The classic case is that a customer running a standard pre-installed
> > operating system wants to use one of the public static IPs that they
> > purchased.
> >
> > The high-hassle option for them is that they have to go into their OS
> > and configure the static IP.
> >
> > We go with the other option - they can leave their OS configured to
> > DHCP, and they can specify via the Web UI (or equivalently API) that the
> > right static IP should be returned to that DHCP request, rather than
> > just a random free one.
> 
> So by "once you've assigned an IP to a server" I mean in OCCI, not in the
> server. If OCCI knows the server (presumably by MAC address) has a given
> IP and your DHCP server can talk to the OCCI backend (or vice versa) then
> there's no special case here... if you can support it then do and people
> won't have to (but can anyway) configure statics. Have I missed something?

I think we're on the same page(?)

The point I was trying to make was about the mechanism by which we assign
IPs to a server in OCCI. I think that the assigned IP(s) should be specified
an attribute of the link between the server and the network.

A less detailed version would be like the last paragraph: just list the
assigned IP(s) as attributes of the link.

A more detailed version with better support for multiple IPs (e.g. for SSL
web hosting) would be like my original e-mail in this thread and distinguish
between two type of IP assignment:
1) A potentially large set of IPs which the server is permitted to use
   (i.e. all of the SSL web hosting IPs which they have purchased)
2) A single IP which is the primary IP to tell the server if it sends a DHCP
   request

Cheers,

Richard.