You can use templates to create DHCP IPv4 ranges, fixed addresses, reservations, roaming hosts, and networks. You can create the following IPv4 templates:

• A DHCP range template, containing DHCP range settings, such as the total number of IP addresses allocated to a range. You can add a DHCP range template to a network template. For information, see About IPv4 Range Templates below.

• A fixed address/reservation template, containing information for creating fixed addresses, reservations, or roaming hosts. You can add a fixed address/reservation template to a network template. For information, see About IPv4 Network Templates below.

• A network template, containing basic network properties for creating networks. It is also a container that holds your DHCP range templates and fixed address/reservation templates. When you create a network using a network template, the network inherits the properties of the range and fixed address/reservation templates. You can create a network in any network view using a network template. For information, see About IPv4 Network Templates below.

Because you can potentially add DHCP range and fixed address/reservation templates to a network template, create the DHCP range and fixed address/reservation templates before you create a network template. For information, see Configuration Example: Creating an IPv4 Network Using a Template below.

About IPv4 Range Templates

When you create an IPv4 range template, the start and end address fields are based on the specified offset from the network start address and the number of IP addresses in the range. After you create a DHCP range template, you can configure additional properties such as exclusion ranges and DHCP filters, as described in Modifying IPv4 Range Templates below. Then when you use the template to create a DHCP range, the range inherits the properties of the template. You can also include a DHCP range template in a network template to automatically create a DHCP range when you use that network template.
If you have deployed the Cloud Network Automation license on the Grid Master, you can configure range templates for cloud delegation. When you select a default Cloud Platform Appliance for a template, all ranges you create using this template will delegate authority to the same Cloud member. Note that when a Cloud member is removed from the Grid, the delegation will also be removed from the template. For information about Cloud Network Automation, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation.

Adding IPv4 Range Templates

To create an IPv4 DHCP range template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates tab, and then expand the Toolbar and click Add -> Templates -> Range -> IPv4.

2. In the Add IPv4 Range Template wizard, do the following:

   • Name: Enter a name that helps identify the DHCP range template. For example, enter Region 1 IT if you want to use this template to create DHCP ranges for the IT department in Region 1.

   • Offset: An offset in a DHCP range template determines the starting IP address of the range. The appliance adds the offset value you enter here to the start IP address of the network in which you create a DHCP range using this template. That IP address becomes the start IP address of the DHCP range. For example, you specify an offset value of 25 for a 25.0.0.0/8 network using the DHCP range template, the appliance creates a DHCP range with the start IP address of 25.0.0.25 in the network.

   • Number of Addresses: Enter the total number of IP addresses to be included in the DHCP range.

   • Comment: Enter useful information about the template.
     
     The Cloud section appears when the Cloud Network Automation license is installed on the Grid Master. For information, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation. To configure this template for cloud delegation, complete the following:
     
     Use for cloud delegation: Select this checkbox to enable cloud delegation for this template.
     
     Delegate authority from the Grid Master

   • Delegate To: In a non-cloud API request, this parameter defines the default member to which authority is delegated. In a cloud API request, the appliance ignores this parameter, which allows you to use this template to create an object on different Cloud Platform Appliances. Click Select to choose the default Cloud Platform Appliance to which you want to delegate authority. The Member Selector displays only Cloud Platform Appliances in the Grid. Click the member, and Grid Manager displays the member name next to this field.

3. Click Next and select one of the following to provide DHCP services for the range:
   

   • None (Reserved Range): Select this if you want to reserve this address range for static hosts. Addresses in this range cannot be allocated as dynamic addresses. You can allocate the next available IP from this range to a static host. This is selected by default.

   • Grid Member: Click Select and choose a Grid member from the drop-down list.

   • Failover Association: Click Select and choose a failover association. Only failover associations that provide DHCP services in the network view of the DHCP range appear in the drop-down list.

   • Microsoft DHCP Server: Click Select and choose a Microsoft server from the drop-down list. The drop-down list displays only the servers that are associated with the network to which the DHCP range belongs.

4. Click Next to configure or override DHCP options as described in Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

5. Click Next to enter values for required extensible attributes or add optional extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.

6. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

Modifying IPv4 Range Templates

After you use the wizard to create an IPv4 DHCP range template, you can set additional properties for the template. Following are some guidelines:

• In the DHCP Options tab of a DHCP range template, the broadcast address is an address offset number rather than a broadcast IP address; network router addresses are offset numbers as well.
  An offset in a DHCP range template indicates the starting IP address of the DHCP range object created from the template. For example, you can create a network template called test_network_template and a DHCP range template test_range_template linked to this network template. If the test_range_template has an offset value 10, when you create a 10.0.0.0/8 network using the test_network_template, the appliance creates a DHCP range with the starting IP address 10.0.0.10. If you create a 20.0.0.0/8 network using the test_network_template, the appliance creates a DHCP range with the starting IP address 20.0.0.10

For the exclusion range in the template, the start and end addresses are determined by the number of offsets in the DHCP range template's start address and the number of IP addresses in the exclusion range. For more information about exclusion ranges, see About DHCP Ranges.


To modify and set properties for a DHCP range template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates tab -> template checkbox, and then click the Edit icon.

2. The DHCP Range Template editor contains the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • General: Modify general information described in the previous section Adding IPv4 Range Templates.

   • Member Assignment: Change the Grid member, failover association, or Microsoft server that provides DHCP services for this template. You can also add or delete a member or failover association. For information, see Adding IPv4 Address Ranges.

     
     When you change the member assignment of DHCP ranges from Failover Association to Grid Member and then back to Failover Association, the leases in the primary and secondary servers fall out of sync. To resynchronize the peers, the failover association of the secondary server is put in the Recover-Wait state for the entire duration of Maximum Client Lead Time while a forced recovery takes place. During this period, only the IP addresses allocated to the primary server are available for lease.
     

   • IPv4 DHCP Options: Keep the inherited DHCP options or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

   • Extensible Attributes: Add and delete extensible attributes that are associated with this template. You can also modify the values of the extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.

   • Permissions: This tab appears only if you belong to a superuser admin group. For information, see About Administrative Permissions.

3. Optionally, you can click Toggle Advanced Mode to display the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • IPv4DDNS: Keep the inherited DDNS settings or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Enabling DDNS for IPv4 and IPv6 DHCP Clients.

   • IPv4 BOOTP/PXE: Keep the inherited BOOTP properties or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Configuring IPv4 BOOTP and PXE Properties.

   • Exclusion Ranges: Configure a range of IP addresses that the appliance does not use for dynamic address assignments. Complete the following:

     • Offset: An offset for an exclusion range determines the start IP address of the exclusion range. The appliance adds the offset value you enter here to the start IP address of the DHCP range created using this template. That IP address becomes the start IP address of the exclusion range.

     • Number of Addresses: Enter the number of IP addresses to be included in the exclusion range.

     • Comment: Enter useful information about the exclusion range.

   • IPv4 DHCP Thresholds: Keep the inherited thresholds settings or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Configuring Thresholds for DHCP Ranges.

4. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

About IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates

You can use an IPv4 fixed address/reservation template to create fixed addresses, reservations and roaming hosts.
When you create an IPv4 fixed address/reservation template, you can specify an offset and number of addresses. This is used when you include the template in a network template. When you include a fixed address/reservation template in a network template, the DHCP server automatically creates reservations based on the offset and number of addresses you specified in the fixed/address reservation template. It does not create fixed addresses.
After you create a fixed address/reservation template using the wizard, you can configure additional properties as described in Modifying IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates below. Then when you use the template to create a fixed address, it inherits the properties of the template.
If you have deployed the Cloud Network Automation license on the Grid Master, you can configure fixed address templates for cloud delegation. When you configure a template for cloud delegation, all fixed addresses you create using this template will inherit authority delegations from their parent objects. For information about Cloud Network Automation, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation.

Adding IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates

To create an IPv4 fixed address/reservation template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates section.

2. Click the Add drop-down list and select IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Template.

3. In the Add IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Template wizard, enter the following:

   • Name: Enter a name that helps identify the fixed address/reservation template. For example, you can enter HP Printer when you create a template that contains settings for assigning fixed addresses or reservations to HP printers.

   • Comment: Optionally, enter additional information about the template.

   • Use for cloud delegation: When you select this checkbox, all fixed addresses you create using this template inherit authority delegation from their parent objects.
     
     In the Optional Settings For Range of Objects section, do the following:

   • Offset: An offset in a fixed address/reservation template determines the start IP address of the object created from the template. The appliance adds the offset value you enter here to the start IP address of the network in which you create objects using this template. That IP address becomes the start IP address of the object.

   • Number of Addresses: Enter the number of IP addresses to be used as fixed addresses, reservations, or roaming hosts.
     
     Note that the appliance uses the offset and number of addresses only when this template is used in a network template.

4. Click Next to configure or override DHCP options as described in Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

5. Click Next to enter values for required extensible attributes or add optional extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.

6. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

Modifying IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates

To modify a fixed address/reservation template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates tab -> template checkbox, and then click the Edit icon.

2. The Fixed Address/Reservation Template editor contains the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • General: Modify general information for the template as described in Adding IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates above.

   • IPv4 DHCP Options: Keep the inherited DHCP options or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

   • Extensible Attributes: Add and delete extensible attributes that are associated with the template. You can also modify the values of the extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.

   • Permissions: This tab appears only if you belong to a superuser admin group. For information, see About Administrative Permissions.

3. Optionally, you can click Toggle Advanced Mode to display the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • IPv4 DDNS: Keep the inherited DDNS settings or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Enabling DDNS for IPv4 and IPv6 DHCP Clients.

   • IPv4 Filters: You can keep the inherited IPv4 logic filters or override them and add a new IPv4 logic filter for the template. For information, see Applying Filters to DHCP Objects.

   • IPv4 BOOTP/PXE: Keep the inherited BOOTP properties or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Configuring IPv4 BOOTP and PXE Properties.
     
     Note that Grid Manager displays both the basic and advanced tabs the next time you log in to the GUI.

4. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

About IPv4 Network Templates

You can create IPv4 network templates to facilitate network configuration. You can use network templates to create networks in any network view. When you create a network template, you do not specify a network address. You enter the network address when you create an actual network from the template. You can specify a netmask or allow the user to define the netmask when they create the actual network.
A network template is useful for setting up a network with fixed addresses and DHCP ranges already defined. You can add DHCP range or fixed address/reservation templates to a network template. Once the fixed address and DHCP range information is set up, the network template contains a range template list and a fixed address/reservation template list.
When you enable support for RIR updates, you can create IPv4 network templates specific for RIR associated networks. For information about RIR updates, see RIR Registration Updates.
If you have deployed the Cloud Network Automation on the Grid Master, you can configure network templates for cloud delegation. When you select a default Cloud Platform Appliance for a template, all networks you create using this template will delegate authority to the same Cloud member. If you want to associate any range or fixed address templates with a network template, ensure that you enable "User for cloud delegation" for the network, range, and fixed address templates. Note that when a Cloud member is removed from the Grid, the delegation will also be removed from the template. For information about Cloud Network Automation, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation.

Adding IPv4 Network Templates

To create a network template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates section.

2. Click the drop-down menu of the Add icon and select IPv4 Network Template.

3. In the Add IPv4 Network Template wizard, do the following:

   • Regional Internet Registry: This section appears only when support for RIR updates is enabled. For information about RIR, see RIR Registration Updates. Complete the following to create a network template for an RIR IPv4 network container or network:

     • Internet Registry: Select the RIR from the drop-down list. The default is RIPE. When you select None, the network is not associated with an RIR organization.

     • Organization ID: Click Select Organization and select an organization from the RIROrganizationSelector dialog box.

     • Registration Status: The default is Not Registered. When using this template to add an RIR allocated network, you can change this to Registered and select the Do not update registrations checkbox below. Note that when you select API as the communication method, the registration status will be updated automatically after the registration update is completed. However, when you select Email as the communication method, the registration status will not be automatically updated. If you are creating a new network and the registration update is completed successfully, the status will be changed to Registered. If the update fails, the status will be changed to Not Registered.

     • Registration Action: Select the registration action from the drop-down list. When you select Create, the appliance creates the IPv4 network and assigns it to the selected organization. When you select None, the appliance does not send registration updates to RIPE. When you use this template to add an existing RIR allocated network to NIOS, select None. When you use this template to add networks to an RIR allocated network (a parent network), select Create. Ensure that the parent network associated with an RIR organization already exists.

     • Do not update registrations: Select this checkbox if you do not want the appliance to submit RIR updates to RIPE. By default, the appliance sends updates to the RIR database based on the configured communication method.

   • Name: Enter a name that helps identify the network template. For example, you can enter Class C if you want to configure the template for creating Class C networks.

   • Netmask: Select one of the following options:

     • Fixed: Select this and adjust the netmask slider to a fixed netmask for this network template. When you select this option, users cannot specify another netmask when they use this template to create a network. For example, if you select /24 as the fixed netmask, all networks created using this template have a /24 netmask.

     • Allow User to Specify Netmask: Select this to allow users to specify the subnet mask when creating networks using this template.

   • Comment: Optionally, enter additional information about the template.

   • Automatically Create Reverse-Mapping Zone: This function is enabled if the fixed netmask of the template equals /8, /16, and /24, or if you select the Allow User to Specify Netmask option. Select this if you want the appliance to automatically create the corresponding reverse-mapping zone for the networks created using this template. A reverse-mapping zone is an area of network space for which one or more name servers have the responsibility for responding to address-to-name queries. These zones are created in the DNS view assigned to receive dynamic DNS updates at the network level.
     
     The Cloud section appears when the Cloud Network Automation license is installed on the Grid Master. For information, see Deploying Cloud Network Automation. To configure this template for cloud delegation, complete the following:
     Use for cloud delegation: Select this checkbox to enable cloud delegation for this template.
     
     When you select this for the network template, all range and fixed address templates that you want to associate with this network template must also be enabled for "Use for cloud delegation."
     
     Delegate authority from the Grid Master
     
     Delegate To: In a non-cloud API request, this parameter defines the default member to which authority is delegated. In a cloud API request, the appliance ignores this parameter, which allows you to use this template to create an object on different Cloud Platform Appliances. Click Select to choose the default Cloud Platform Appliance to which you want to delegate authority. The Member Selector displays only Cloud Platform Appliances in the Grid. Click the member, and Grid Manager displays the member name next to this field.

4. Click Next and do the following to assign either Grid members or Microsoft DHCP servers to this network template. Ensure that you include members or Microsoft servers that are associated with other templates that you plan to add to this network template. You can assign one or multiple members to this template. However, you cannot assign a combination of NIOS Grid members and vNIOS Grid members to the template. You can also assign multiple Microsoft servers to a template, but you cannot assign a mix of Microsoft servers and Grid members to a template.

   • click the Add icon and select one of the following options:

     • Add Infoblox Member: Select this option to add a Grid member as a DHCP server for the networks created using this template. Select the Grid member from the Member Selector dialog box. Keep in mind, DHCP properties for the network are inherited from this member. Networks created using this template can be served by multiple members, but a member can serve networks in one network view only.
       
       or

     • Add Microsoft Server: Select this option to add a Microsoft server as a DHCP server for the networks created using this template. Select the Microsoft server from the Microsoft Server Selector dialog box.

5. Click Next to associate Active Directory Sites with the network. For more information, see Associating Active Directory Sites with Networks.

6. Click Next and do the following to include IPv4 address range and fixed address/reservation templates in the network template. Note that when you select a fixed address/reservation template, only reservations, not fixed addresses, are created for networks created using this template. You cannot add a fixed address/reservation template that does not contain an offset value or a total number of IP addresses for a range.

   1. Click the Add icon.

   2. In the DHCP Template Selector dialog box, choose the template that you want to include in this network template. You can choose a DHCP range or fixed address/reservation template. Use SHIFT+click and CTRL+click to select multiple templates.

   3. Click the Select icon.
      You can delete a template from the table by selecting it and clicking the Delete icon.

7. Click Next to configure or override DHCP options as described in Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

8. Click Next to enter values for required extensible attributes or add optional extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.
   If you are adding an RIR network, the RIR network attribute table appears. For information about these attributes and how to enter them, see RIR Network Attributes.

9. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

Modifying IPv4 Network Templates

To modify a network template:

1. From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates tab -> template checkbox, and then click the Edit icon.

2. The IPv4 Network Template editor contains the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • General: Modify general information described in Adding IPv4 Network Templates above.

   • Member Assignment: Change the Microsoft servers or Grid members that provide DHCP services for this template. For information, see Adding IPv4 Networks.

   • Templates: Add or delete DHCP range and fixed address/reservation templates. For information, see About IPv4 Range Templates and About IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates above.

   • IPv4 DHCP Options: Keep the inherited DHCP options or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Defining IPv4 DHCP Options.

   • RIR Registration: Modify RIR network information. This tab appears only when support for RIR updates is enabled. For information, see Modifying RIR Network Data.

   • Extensible Attributes: Add and delete extensible attributes that are associated with the template. You can also modify the values of the extensible attributes. For information, see Using Extensible Attributes.

   • Permissions: This tab appears only if you belong to a superuser admin group. For information, see Managing Permissions.

3. Optionally, you can click Toggle Advanced Mode to display the following tabs from which you can modify data:

   • IPv4DDNS: Keep the inherited DDNS settings or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Enabling DDNS for IPv4 and IPv6 DHCP Clients.

   • IPv4 BOOTP/PXE: Keep the inherited BOOTP properties or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Configuring IPv4 BOOTP and PXE Properties.

   • Filters: You can keep the inherited IPv4 logic filters or override them and add a new IPv4 logic filter for the template. For information, see Applying Filters to DHCP Objects.

   • IPv4 DHCP Thresholds: Keep the inherited thresholds settings or override them and enter unique settings for the template. For information, see Configuring Thresholds for DHCP Ranges.
     
     Note that Grid Manager displays both the basic and advanced tabs the next time you log in to the GUI.

4. Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

Configuration Example: Creating an IPv4 Network Using a Template

This example describes how to create a /24 network template and how to use the template to create a 192.168.2/24 network with the following configurations:

• First address 192.168.2.1 is reserved for the router

• Next 10 addresses (192.168.2.2 to 192.168.2.11) reserved for servers

• Next 10 addresses (192.168.2.12 to 192.168.2.21) reserved for printers

• Next 10 addresses (192.168.2.22 to 192.168.2.31) assigned as fixed addresses

• 100 addresses (192.168.2.32 to 192.168.2.131) reserved for workstations. The appliance assigns these dynamically.

• 10 addresses (192.168.2.42 to 192.168.2.51) are in an exclusion range. If you assigned static addresses to certain hosts in the middle of an address range template, you can exclude the addresses from the address range template so the appliance does not assign these IP addresses to clients

The below figure illustrates the configurations of the 192.168.2/24 network using the network template you create:

Creating a Network Using a Template 

Use the following steps to create the sample network template (shown in the above figure).

1. Create the following DHCP range templates. For information, see Adding IPv4 Range Templates above.

   • Server template with the following values:

     • Name: Servers

     • Offset: 2

     • Number of Addresses: 10

     • Comment: Address range 2 to 11 for Servers

   • Printer template with the following values:

     • Name: Printers

     • Offset: 12

     • Number of Addresses: 10

     • Comment: Address range 12 to 21 for printers.

   • Workstation template with the following values:

     • Name: Workstations

     • Offset: 32

     • Number of Addresses: 100

     • Comment: Address range 32 to 131 for DHCP on workstations

   • Exclusion range with the following values. You must modify the Workstations template to add the exclusion range. For information, see Modifying IPv4 Range Templates above.

     • Name: Exclusion

     • Offset: 42

     • Number of Addresses: 10

     • Comment: Excluding addresses 42 to 51 from the DHCP range 32 to 131.

2. Create a fixed address/reservation template with the following values. For information, see Adding IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates above.

   • Name: Router

   • Comment: Fixed address template

   • Offset: 1

   • Number of Addresses: 1

3. Create a fixed address/reservation template with the following values. For information, see Adding IPv4 Fixed Address/Reservation Templates above.

   • Name: myFixedAddress

   • Comment: Fixed address template

   • Offset: 22

   • Number of Addresses: 10

4. Create a network template with the following values. For information, see Adding IPv4 Network Templates above.

   • Name: myNetworkTemplate

   • Netmask: Select /24 as the fixed subnet mask for the network

   • Comment: Network template for /24 network

   • Automatically create are verse-mapping zone: Select this so that the NIOS appliance automatically creates the corresponding reverse-mapping zone for the network.

5. Add the DHCP range templates Servers, Printers, and Workstations to the network template.

6. 6. Add the fixed address/reservation template myFixedAddress to the network template.

7. Add a fixed address with the following values:

8. Create a network using the network template myNetworkTemplate with the following values. For information, see Adding IPv4 Networks.

   • Address: Enter the IP address 192.168.2.0 of the network that you want to create using the template.

   • Select template: Select the network template myNetworkTemplate.

9. To verify your configuration, from the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Templates tab. Select myNetworkTemplate and click the Edit icon. In the Network Template editor, click the Templates tab. The Grid Manager displays the DHCP range templates and fixed address templates.

10. Click Restart to restart services.