Patent ID: 11902099
Assignee: NILE GLOBAL, INC.
Field: Digital communication (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 16:
17. A network element, the network element comprising:
memory; and
one or more processors configured to:
obtain a first IP address from a DHCP server;
on an unnumbered interface of the network element, receive a DHCP request from an unnumbered interface of a second network element, wherein each of the unnumbered interface of the second network element and the unnumbered interface of the network element comprises an unnumbered logical or virtual interface, wherein IP processing is enabled on the unnumbered logical or virtual interface without assigning an explicit IP address to the unnumbered logical or virtual interface, wherein the network element, the second network element, and at least one other network element are connected in series through a plurality of unnumbered interfaces to form a circle, and wherein all network interfaces of the second network element are unnumbered interfaces;
forward the DHCP request from the second network element to the DHCP server using the first IP address as a relay IP address;
receive a DHCP response from the DHCP server, wherein the DHCP response contains a second IP address of the second network element, and wherein the first and second IP addresses have an identical subnet mask; and
forward the DHCP response from the DHCP server to the second network element through the unnumbered interface of the network element and the unnumbered interface of the second network element.