DHCP server problem.!!

[meki71]

Hi, I'm trying to consolidate all the servers of my company and I found out that there are 9 DHCP servers in just one region and they are installed in every district offices.

 

My question is, is it ok to set-up 1 DHCP server in a single location and can distribute IP address to the district offices that are hundred of kilometers apart?

 

B.T.W - connections are transmitted through microwave or fiber optic.

 

 

Hope you can help me with this problem. Thanks in advance.

[ThePrutser]

It is possible using DHCP relay agents/settings on the routers which support this feature.

 

I suppose the network is subnetted, so you can configure different DHCP scopes for every remote location. The DHCP server will figure out what address to send out to the requesting client by network id. (I will not go in the exact technical details here).

 

Just keep in mind: What if there is connection failure, how will the clients get their ip addresses? Or is the network designed to provide all services from one central location?

Edited November 25, 2009 by ThePrutser

[Michael]

By the sounds of things there's a server at every site, so it makes sense to have a DHCP server at every site too. It minimises traffic across the links, but also, if the links go down (for whatever reason) users can continue to work.

[meki71]

Thanks for the reply. Yup, you're both right, but my superiors want all our server to be consolidated in one single location(Yeah, sometimes the're impossible). I think we will just set-up a back-up DHCP server to another location if ever the connection in the locatoin of our servers fails.

 

Here is a another question mind.

 

Is it practical or O.K. to virtualized my DHCP server?

[srochford]

DHCP can easily be virtualised; it's a very light weight task. It also creates very little network traffic so in that way it's not a problem to have central DHCP servers with the traffic going over WAN links.