Implementing an Advanced Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Solution

Dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) is one of the most commonly implemented network services in today’s network environments. In this article I will review the deployment and configuration of the DHCP server role in Windows Server 2012. We will revise the DHCP leasing process, DHCP options, DHCPv4 and DHCPv6 scopes, and auto configuration.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)	A network protocol that automatically configures the IP configuration of a device including assigning an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and primary and secondary Domain Name System (DNS) servers.
Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP)	An earlier network protocol that works like DHCP.
DHCP server service	A service that works in the background on a server. It distributes IP addresses and other network configuration information.
DHCP scopes	A range of IP addresses that can be allocated to clients. It includes a name, range of addresses and subnet masks.
DHCP options	Options that are assigned when the addresses are assigned or renewed including the default gateway and the primary and secondary DNS servers. Other options include DNS domain suffix, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) server, and TFTP addresses.
DHCP database	A database that contains the configuration for the DHCP server, the IP addresses that it has distributed, their current lease time, and the IP addresses that the server still have to distributed. The database uses the Microsoft Jet Database Engine, which is stored in the %systemroot%\System32\Dhcp folder.
DHCP console	The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that allows you to manage the DHCP server, and the scopes.
DHCP client reservations	Reservations within a DHCP scope that allow administrators to reserve an IP address for permanent use by a DHCP client.
DHCP policies	Granular control over scopes that allow you to assign different IP addresses or different options based on the device type, or its role.
Superscope	The grouping of multiple scopes into a single administrative entity. Ideal for supporting larger subnets.
Unicast	When a host sends packets to another host exclusively.
Broadcast	When a host sends packets to all the hosts within the network or subnet.
Multicast	When a host sends packets to multiple hosts, whether they were selected or not.
Multicast scopes	Also known as Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP) scopes, they allow applications to reserve a multicast IP address for data and content delivery. Applications that use multicasting request addresses from the scopes need to support the MADCAP application programming interface (API).
IPv6 address	An enhanced network layer protocol that uses a 128-bit address space and enhanced security.
Split scopes	Use two DHCP servers to assign IP addresses. Eighty percent of the available addresses are assigned on the primary server, and 20 percent of the available addresses are assigned to a secondary server. When the primary server is down, the secondary server can assign IP addresses long enough for you to fix or replace the primary server.
DHCP failover	Introduced in Windows Server 2012, replicates lease information between two DHCP servers.
DHCP Name Protection	Introduced in Windows Server 2012, this is used to prevent conflicts of non-Microsoft computers from overwriting systems that use static addresses. This conflict was derived from non-Windows computers and Windows computers sharing a host name.