Boot Service Discovery Protocol

<p>Boot Service Discovery Protocol (BSDP) is an <a href="/facts/Apple_Inc./oTJYta3k">Apple</a>-developed, standards-conforming extension of  <a href="/facts/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol/lpASHnhz">DHCP</a>.  It allows <a href="/facts/Macintosh/8GhnXTK0">Macintosh</a> computers to <a href="/facts/Booting/j6N1kRpc">boot</a> from bootable images on a <a href="/facts/Computer_network/3w5RM99p">network</a> instead of local storage media such as <a href="/facts/Compact_Disc/g51GRloc">CD</a>, <a href="/facts/DVD/7fJsHJrN">DVD</a>, or <a href="/facts/Hard_disk_drive/kekLSGSE">hard disk</a>.  The DHCP options used are the "vendor-specific information" option (number 43) and the "vendor class identifier" option (number 60).
There are three versions of BSDP, though usually version 1.0 is used.  All versions enable a <a href="/facts/Client_(computing)/u0wlVsWI">client</a> to choose from several bootable images offered by a <a href="/facts/Server_(computing)/dEaYFD7r">server</a>.
The <a href="https://github.com/apple-oss-distributions/bootp">reference implementation</a> of BSDP is <a href="/facts/Darwin_(operating_system)/DogI3ptd">Darwin</a>'s <a href="/facts/Bootstrap_Protocol/GPEtMEgK">BOOTP</a> server, which is part of <a href="/facts/Mac_OS/EkobAhow">Mac OS</a>'s  <a href="/facts/NetBoot/01708jY8">NetBoot</a> feature.
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Boot Service Discovery Protocol open-in-new

Boot Service Discovery Protocol