Method and system for optimizing performance and availability of a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) service

1. A system implemented in hardware, comprising:

a computer infrastructure operable to:

define one or a plurality of groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks;

retrieve information related to resources, in particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, allocated within a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server to each group of subnetworks; and

transfer the information to a DHCP service monitoring system, the DHCP service monitoring system comprising means for retrieving the information from the one or a plurality of DHCP servers and means for aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks,

wherein performance and availability of a DHCP service is monitored and optimized based on information aggregated for each group of subnetworks,

wherein the means for aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks comprises determining a global utilization for each group of subnetworks, the global utilization being equal to a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to a group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, divided by a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to the group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, and

wherein the monitoring and optimizing of the performance and availability of the DHCP service, comprises sending an action if the global utilization for the group of subnetworks reaches a predetermined threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the 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 a sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each network defined within the group of subnetworks.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the 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 a sum of the IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to store 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.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to collect information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes.

6. A system implemented in hardware, comprising:

a computer infrastructure operable to:

retrieve from one or a plurality of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers, information related to resources, in particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, allocated within each DHCP server to groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks;

aggregate the information for each group of subnetworks; and

monitor and optimize performance and availability of a DHCP service based on the information aggregated for each group of subnetworks,

wherein the aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks comprises determining a global utilization for each group of subnetworks, the global utilization being equal to a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to a group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, divided by a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to the group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, and

wherein the monitoring and optimizing of the performance and availability of the DHCP service, comprises sending an action if the global utilization for the group of subnetworks reaches a predetermined thereshold.

7. The system of claim 6 , 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 a sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

8. The system of claim 7 , 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 a sum of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to record the one or plurality of DHCP servers in a list.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the computer infrastructure is further operable to collect information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes.

11. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices and computer-readable program instructions which are stored on the one or more storage devices and when executed by one or more processors, are operable to:

define one or a plurality of groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks;

retrieve information related to resources, in particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, allocated within a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server to each group of subnetworks; and

transfer the information to a DHCP service monitoring system, the DHCP service monitoring system comprising means for retrieving the information from the one or a plurality of DHCP servers and means for aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks,

wherein performance and availability of a DHCP service is monitored and optimized based on information aggregated for each group of subnetworks, and

wherein the means for aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks comprises determining a global utilization for each group of subnetworks, the global utilization being equal to a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to a group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, divided by a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to the group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the 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 a sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each network defined within the group of subnetworks.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the 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 a sum of the IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the at least one component is further operable to store 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.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the at least one component is further operable to collect information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes.

16. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices and computer-readable program instructions which are stored on the one or more storage devices and when executed by one or more processors, are operable to:

retrieve from one or a plurality of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers, information related to resources, in particular Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, allocated within each DHCP server to groups of subnetworks, each group of subnetworks comprising one or a plurality of subnetworks;

aggregate the information for each group of subnetworks; and

monitor and optimize performance and availability of a DHCP service based on the information aggregated for each group of subnetworks,

wherein the aggregating the information for each group of subnetworks comprises determining a global utilization for each group of subnetworks, the global utilization being equal to a total number of IP addresses presently allocated to a group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers, divided by a total number of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to the group of subnetworks on all DHCP servers.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , 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 a sum of IP addresses presently allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , 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 a sum of IP addresses that can be potentially allocated to each subnetwork defined within the group of subnetworks.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein the at least one component is further operable to record the one or plurality of DHCP servers in a list.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the at least one component is further operable to collect information related to utilization of IP address pools within the one or a plurality of DHCP servers using probes.