Network and System Administration

Network and System Administration

Introduction

A Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is a computer that has Windows Server 2008 R2 installed on it, and is responsible for assigning IP addresses to the computers automatically[1]. IP addresses assigned to the computers by DHCP server are known as dynamic IP addresses, and the computers that are configured to obtain the IP addresses automatically from the DHCP server are called DHCP client computers. During DHCP server configuration, administrators specify a range of IP addresses in the DHCP scope. All IP addresses that fall within the specified range are stored in IP Address Pool. Every time a DHCP client computer requests an IP address from a DHCP server, the server randomly picks up any one of the available IP addresses from its address pool and assigns it to the requesting client computer. This process is known as dynamic IP address assignment[2].

Installation/Configuration details

The Server Manager Dashboard is displayed by default. In the navigation pane, click Configure this local server.

Under PROPERTIES, click the name next to Computer name. The System Properties dialog box will open.

On the Computer Name tab, click Change and then type DHCP1 under Computer name.

Click OK twice, and then click Close.

When you are prompted to restart the computer, click Restart Now.

After restarting the computer, sign-in using the local Administrator account.

In Server Manager, under Configure this local server, click Add Roles and Features.

In the Add Roles and Features Wizard, click Next three times, and then on the Select server roles page select the Active Directory Domain Services checkbox.

When you are prompted to add required features, click Add Features.

Select the DHCP Server checkbox.

When you are prompted to add required features, click Add Features.

Select the DNS Server checkbox.

When you are prompted to add required features, click Add Features.

Click Next five times, and then click Install.

Wait for the installation process to complete, verify on the Installation progress page that Configuration required. Installation succeeded on DHCP1 is displayed, and then click Close.

Click the Notification flag and then click Promote this server to a domain controller. See the following example.

In the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard, on the Deployment Configuration page, choose Add a new forest and then next to Root domain name, type contoso.com.

Click Next, and then on the Domain Controller Options page, under Type the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password, type a password next to Password and Confirm password. Confirm that Domain Name System (DNS) server and Global Catalog (GC) are selected, and then click Next.

Click Next four times, verify that All prerequisite checks passed successfully is displayed, and then click Install.

The computer will restart automatically to complete the installation process.

Sign in using the local Administrator account.

Backup/Recovery Procedure

Although it is perfectly acceptable—and preferred—for most client workstations to use DHCP and get a randomly assigned IP address, sometimes you will want to use DHCP to assign the same IP address to a specific network object every time. Enter the DHCP reservation. A DHCP reservation is configured in a specific DHCP zone by entering the MAC address of network adapter installed in the client (printer, workstation, network hardware) that you want to have the same DHCP assigned IP address every time. Using reservations allows the client to be configured for DHCP, but still get a static IP address and other information being passed by the DHCP server as part of that scope where the reservation was ...