System and method for dynamically configuring a DHCP server in a virtual network environment

1. A method for dynamically configuring a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server in a virtual network environment, the method comprising:

generating a virtual machine (VM) object attribute table by mapping VM inventory objects to associated media access control (MAC) addresses of multiple VMs running on a plurality of host computing systems in a computing network;

configuring DHCP bindings using VM inventory objects from the VM object attribute table, wherein configuring the DHCP bindings using the VM inventory objects, comprises:

configuring the DHCP bindings using VMs, groups of VMs, virtual network interface cards (vNICs), virtual gateways, or a combination thereof;

transforming the configured DHCP bindings by replacing the VM inventory objects in the configured DHCP bindings with associated MAC addresses using the VM object attribute table;

sending the transformed DHCP bindings to the DHCP server for assigning Internet protocol (IP) addresses to the multiple VMs running on the plurality of host computing systems in the computing network; and

dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server based on updates made to the VM object attribute table or the configured DHCP bindings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings comprises:

determining whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table;

if it is determined there are updates, then dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server by repeating the steps of configuring, transforming and sending; and

if it is determined there are no updates, then continuing the step of determining whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

dynamically maintaining updates to the VM object attribute table and/or the configured DHCP bindings.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the update comprises addition of a VM, deletion of a VM, change in a network property of a vNIC, addition/deletion of a vNIC to a VM, change of VM's MAC address, addition/change of attributes of a VM, change in group membership of a VM and/or change in configured DHCP bindings and wherein the change in configured DHCP bindings is addition of a DHCP binding, deletion of a DHCP binding and/or update of a DHCP binding in which VM inventory object referenced changes.

5. A system, comprising:

a plurality of host computing systems hosting multiple virtual machines (VMs) in a computing network;

a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server coupled to the plurality of host computing systems; and

a virtual management server, comprising:

a DHCP manager to dynamically configure the DHCP server in a virtual network environment, by:

generating a VM object attribute table by mapping VM inventory objects to associated media access control (MAC) addresses of the multiple VMs:

configuring DHCP bindings using VM inventory objects, wherein configuring the DHCP bindings using the VM inventory objects from the VM object attribute table, comprises:

configuring the DHCP bindings using VMs, groups of VMs, virtual network interface cards (vNICs), virtual gateways, or a combination thereof;

transforming the configured DHCP bindings by replacing the VM inventory objects in the configured DHCP bindings with associated MAC addresses using a VM object attribute table;

sending the transformed DHCP bindings to the DHCP server for assigning Internet protocol (IP) addresses to the multiple VMs running on the plurality of host computing systems in the computing network; and

dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server based on updates made to the VM object attribute table or the configured DHCP bindings.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the DHCP manager is further configured to:

determine whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table;

if it is determined there are updates, then dynamically update the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server by repeating the steps of configuring, transforming and sending; and

if it is determined there are no updates, then continue the step of determining whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the DHCP manager is further configured to:

dynamically maintain updates to the VM object attribute table and/or the configured DHCP bindings.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the update comprises addition of a VM, deletion of a VM, change in a network property of a vNIC, addition/deletion of a vNIC to a VM, change of VM's MAC address, addition/change of attributes of a VM, change in group membership of a VM and/or change in configured DHCP bindings and wherein the change in configured DHCP bindings is addition ofa DHCP binding, deletion of a DHCP binding and/or update of a DHCP binding in which VM inventory object referenced changes.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that are configured, when executed by a computing device, to perform a method for dynamically configuring a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server in a virtual network environment, the method comprising:

generating a virtual machine (VM) object attribute table by mapping VM inventory objects to associated media access control (MAC) addresses of multiple VMs running on a plurality of host computing systems in a computing network;

configuring DHCP bindings using VM inventory objects from the VM object attribute table, wherein configuring the DHCP bindings using the VM inventory objects, comprises:

configuring the DHCP bindings using VMs, groups of VMs, virtual network interface cards (vNICs), virtual gateways, or a combination thereof;

transforming the configured DHCP bindings by replacing the VM inventory objects in the configured DHCP bindings with associated MAC addresses using the VM object attribute table; and

sending the transformed DHCP bindings to the DHCP server for assigning Internet protocol (IP) addresses to be multiple VMs running on the plurality of host computing systems; and

dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server based on updates made to the VM object attribute table or the configured DHCP bindings.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings comprises:

determining whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table;

if it is determined there are updates, then dynamically updating the transformed DHCP bindings sent to the DHCP server by repeating the steps of configuring, transforming and sending; and

if it is determined there are no updates, then continuing the step of determining whether there are any updates made to the configured DHCP bindings and/or the VM object attribute table.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , further comprising:

dynamically maintaining updates to the VM object attribute table and/or the configured DHCP bindings.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the update comprises addition of a VM, deletion of a VM, change in a network property of a vNIC, addition/deletion of a vNIC to a VM, change of VM's MAC address, addition/change of attributes of a VM, change in group membership of a VM and/or change in configured DHCP bindings and wherein the change in configured DHCP bindings is addition of a DHCP binding, deletion of a DHCP binding and/or update of a DHCP binding in which VM inventory object referenced changes.