Reference Guide

• Configure the System to be a Relay Agent
• Configure Secure DHCP
Configure the System to be a DHCP Server
A DHCP server is a network device that has been programmed to provide network configuration
parameters to clients upon request. Servers typically serve many clients, making host management much
more organized and efficient.
The following table lists the key responsibilities of DHCP servers.
Table 17. DHCP Server Responsibilities
DHCP Server Responsibility Description
Address Storage and Management DHCP servers are the owners of the addresses
DHCP clients uses. The server stores the addresses
and manages their use, keeping track of which
addresses have been allocated and which are still
available.
Configuration Parameter Storage and Management DHCP servers also store and maintain other
parameters that are sent to clients when
requested. These parameters specify in detail how
a client is to operate.
Lease Management DHCP servers use leases to allocate addresses to
clients for a limited time. The DHCP server
maintains information about each of the leases,
including lease length.
Responding To Client Requests DHCP servers respond to different types of
requests from clients, primarily, granting, renewing,
and terminating leases.
Providing Administration Services DHCP servers include functionality that allows an
administrator to implement policies that govern
how DHCP performs its other tasks.
Configuration Tasks
To configure DHCP, an administrator must first set up a DHCP server and provide it with configuration
parameters and policy information including IP address ranges, lease length specifications, and
configuration data that DHCP hosts need.
Configuring the Dell system to be a DHCP server is a three-step process:
1. Configuring the Server for Automatic Address Allocation
2. Specifying a Default Gateway
3. Enabling the DHCP Server
Related Configuration Tasks
• Configure a Method of Hostname Resolution
• Creating Manual Binding Entries
• Debugging the DHCP Server
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
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