PXE DHCP Handover

Installing and Using OpenWrt
1

Hello,

Just checking some logic:-

  1. A PXE client starts and does DHCPDISCOVER on its first interface;
  2. A PXE server responds and provides DHCPOFFER;
  3. The client uses DHCPREQUEST to formally request from what was offered by the server;
  4. The server performs accounting and responds with DHCPACK;
  5. The client performs PXE actions (download, execute).

Assuming that this process would be starting a new instance of OpenWrt, is there a way to passthrough the obtained IP configuration to the instance? I’ve tried the “ip=“ kernel parameter but this appears to be NFS module specific and dmesg indicates that it isn’t picked up by anything in the default initramfs.

Is it expected for a DHCP-configured interface to obtain its configuration twice on startup, or can this be done more efficiently?

2

Can you clarify this part of your statement?

Are you saying that you're PXE booting an image of OpenWrt on the client?

3

Yes, so in an x86_64 VM environment:-

First VM runs OpenWrt with a static IP configuration and dnsmasq configured for PXE booting;

Second, third, fourth VMs run iPXE to obtain IP address and OpenWrt kernel/initramfs from the first VM.