| Lesson 2 | DHCP Design Decisions |
| Objective | Recognize DHCP as a configuration solution and the decisions it involves. |
DHCP Design Decisions
As an IP configuration scheme grows in both size and the number of configuration
options used, it becomes increasingly difficult to manage the manual configuration of network hosts. The DHCP service in Windows 2000 provides
automation for host IP configuration by supporting multiple subnets with unique configuration options and IP address ranges.
What is DHCP?
DHCP is a broadcast message-driven protocol that allows DHCP Clients on the network to acquire an IP address and TCP/IP client option information
from a DHCP Server. As shown here, there are two components to DHCP in Windows 2000, a DHCP Server service and a DHCP Client. Note: DHCP Server and DHCP Client, with capital S and C respectively, are used throughout this module to indicate a server or client running the DHCP Server service in Windows 2000 or a Microsoft® Windows-based DHCP Client.
Overarching Design Decisions
When designing a DHCP solution, the network designer must:
- Define the requirements for a DHCP solution for the network
- Identify the features provided by DHCP and how these features support the design requirements for the DHCP solution
- Identify the benefits of integration between DHCP and other Windows 2000 services/li>
Design requirements
To develop a DHCP solution, you must determine three elements of your solution. This MouseOver explains these elements and why they're important.
|
|
DHCP Design Requirements
Taken together, this information establishes the subnets you must define and the DHCP Client options to be supplied by the DHCP service in order to allow successful DHCP Client operation on the IP network. Note:
In an IP network that uses DHCP, you must allocate an IP address and configuration information to each DHCP Client to enable IP communication.
On a TCP/IP network, all computers must be configured with the appropriate IP addressing information or they will not be able to participate in network activity. The DHCP Server maintains a database
that includes available and allocated IP addresses for defined subnets and the client TCP/IP options. In the next lesson, you will learn to identify the features provided by DHCP.