Planning a Strategy for DHCP

This section describes how to develop strategies for placing DHCP servers on small-scale and large-scale installations. Most network administrators implementing DHCP will also be planning a strategy for implementing WINS servers. The planning tasks described here also apply for WINS servers. In fact, the administrator will probably want to plan DHCP and WINS implementation in tandem. The following procedure describes the general planning tasks for planning DHCP and WINS implementation.

To plan for DHCP and WINS implementation

  1. Compile a list of requirements including the following types of requirements:
    • Client support (numbers and kinds of systems to be supported)
    • Interoperability with existing systems (including your requirements for mission-critical accounting, personnel, and similar information systems)
    • Hardware support and related software compatibility (including routers, switches, and servers)
    • Network monitoring software (including SNMP requirements and other tools)
  2. Isolate the areas of the network where processes must continue uninterrupted, and then target these areas for the last stages of implementation.
  3. Review the geographic and physical structure of the network to determine the best plan for defining logical subnets as segments of the internetwork.
  4. Define the components in the new system that require testing, and then develop a phase plan for testing and adding components.

For example, the plan could define units of the organization to be phased into using DHCP and the order for types of computers to be phased in (including Windows NT servers and workstations, Microsoft RAS servers and clients, Windows for Workgroups computers, and MS-DOS clients).

  1. Create a pilot project for testing.

Be sure that the pilot project addresses all the requirements identified in step 1.

  1. Create a second test phase, including tuning the DHCP (and WINS) server-client configuration for efficiency.

This task can include determining strategies for backup servers and for partitioning the address pool at each server to be provided to local versus remote clients.

  1. Document all architecture and administration issues for network administrators.
  2. Implement a final phase for bringing all organizational units into using DHCP.

While planning, remember that the actual placement of the servers in the physical network need not be a major planning issue. DHCP servers (and WINS servers) do not participate in the Windows NT Server domain model; domain membership is not, therefore, an issue in planning for server placement. Because most routers can forward DHCP configuration requests, DHCP servers are not required on every subnet in the internetwork. Also, because these servers can be administered remotely from any Windows NT Server computer that is DHCP- or WINS-enabled, location is not a major issue in planning for server placement.