Server and method for setting a mode of the server

1. A server, for automatically setting a mode of the server according to a state of a network of the server, wherein the mode of the server is selected from the group comprising a positive mode and a negative mode, and when the server operates in the positive mode, the server provides Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service in the network, and when the server operates in the negative mode, the server does not provide DHCP service in the network, the server comprising:

at least one processor;

a storage system;

one or more programs that are stored in the storage system and are executed by the at least one processor, comprising:

a monitoring module detecting a DHCP offer packet provided by another DHCP server in the network, wherein the DHCP offer packet records a mode of the another DHCP server;

an analyzing module, determining the mode of the another DHCP server according to the DHCP offer packet; and

a mode setting module, setting the mode of the server to the negative mode when the sever boots, maintaining the server in the negative mode when the another DHCP server operates in the positive mode, and

setting the mode of the server to the positive mode when the monitoring module does not detect the DHCP offer packet in the network,

wherein the monitoring module broadcasts an DHCP discover packet at an interval in the network to detect the DHCP offer packet in the network.

2. The server as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the DHCP offer packet further records a runtime of the another DHCP server, wherein the runtime refers to a time during which the another DHCP server operates in the network.

3. The server as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the analyzing module compares a runtime of the server with the runtime of the another DHCP server, and the mode setting module sets the mode of the server to the positive mode upon the condition that the runtime of the server is greater than the runtime of the another DHCP server.

4. The server as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the DHCP offer packet also records a random back-off time of the another DHCP server, and the random back-off time refers to a random waiting time after which the another DHCP server provides the DHCP offer packet.

5. The server as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the analyzing module compares a random back-off time of the server with the random back-off time of the another DHCP server, and the mode setting module sets the mode of the server to the positive mode upon the condition that the random back-off time of the server is greater than the random back-off time of the another DHCP server.

6. The server as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the random back-off time of the server is created at random within a predefined scope of the random back-off time when the server boots up, and the predefined scope of the random back-off time ranges from three to five times as long as the interval of the broadcasting of the DHCP discover packet.

7. The server as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the interval is two seconds, and the predefined scope of the random back-off time ranges from six to ten seconds.

8. The server as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the runtime of the server comprises a delay, and the delay is calculated according to a formula: the delay=(a time that the server receives the DHCP offer packet-a time that the server transmits the DHCP discover packet)/2.

9. The server as claimed in claim 8 , wherein mode setting module labels the mode of the another DHCP server as the negative mode and the runtime of the another DHCP server as zero upon the condition that the DHCP offer packet dose not record the mode and the runtime of the another DHCP server.

10. The server as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mode of the server is selected from the group further comprising a supervisor mode in which the server provides DHCP service all the time regardless of the mode of the another DHCP server, and the supervisor mode of the server can be set according to a command of a user.

11. A method for setting a mode of a server, wherein the modes of the server can be set automatically according to a state of a network in which the server works, and the mode of the server is selected from the group comprising a positive mode and a negative mode, and when the server operates in the positive mode, the server provides Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service in the network, and when the server operates in the negative mode, the server does not provide DHCP service in the network, comprising:

setting the mode of the server to the negative mode when the sever boots up;

detecting a DHCP offer packet provided by another DHCP server in the network, wherein the DHCP offer packet records a mode of the another DHCP server;

setting the mode of the server to the positive mode when no DHCP offer packet is provided by the another DHCP server in the network;

determining the mode of the another DHCP server according to the DHCP offer packet when the DHCP offer packet is provided by the another DHCP server in the network; and

maintaining the server in the negative mode when the another DHCP server operates in the positive mode,

wherein detecting a DHCP offer packet provided by another DHCP server in the network further comprises: broadcasting a DHCP discover packet at an interval in the network to detect the DHCP offer packet in the network.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the DHCP offer packet further records a runtime of the another DHCP server, and the runtime refers to a time during which the another DHCP server operates in the network.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising: comparing a runtime of the server with the runtime of the another DHCP server; setting the mode of the server to the positive mode upon the condition that the runtime of the server is greater than the runtime of the another DHCP server.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the DHCP offer packet also records a random back-off time of the another DHCP server, and the random back-off time refers to a random waiting time after which the another DHCP server provides the DHCP offer packet.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising: comparing a random back-off time of the server with the random back-off time of the another DHCP server; setting the mode of the server to the positive mode upon the condition that the random back-off time of the server is greater than the random back-off time of the another DHCP server.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the random back-off time of the server is created at random within a predefined scope of the random back-off time when the server boots up, and the predefined scope of the random back-off time ranges from three to five times as long as the interval of the broadcasting of the DHCP discover packet.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the interval is two seconds, and the predefined scope of the random back-off time ranges from six to ten seconds.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the runtime of the server comprises a delay, and the delay is calculated according to a formula: the delay=(a time that the server receives the DHCP offer packet-a time that the server transmits the DHCP discover packet)/2.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising: labeling the mode of the another DHCP server as the negative mode and the runtime of the another DHCP server as zero upon the condition that the DHCP offer packet dose not record the mode and the runtime of the another DHCP server.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the mode of the server is selected from the group further comprising a supervisor mode in which the server provides DHCP service all the time regardless of the mode of the another DHCP server, and the supervisor mode of the server can be set according to a command of a user.