Cabletron Systems SmartSwitch manual Chapter, Configuration Guide, Dhcp Overview

Chapter 5

DHCP

Configuration

Guide

DHCP Overview

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server on the SSR provides dynamic address assignment and configuration to DHCP capable end-user systems, such as Windows 95/98/NT and Apple Macintosh systems. You can configure the server to provide a dynamic IP address from a pre-allocated pool of IP addresses or a static IP address. You can also configure parameters for use by the clients, such as default gateway and network masks, and system-specific parameters, such as NetBIOS Name Server and NetBIOS node type of the client.

The amount of time that a particular IP address is valid for a system is called a lease. The SSR maintains a lease database which contains information about each assigned IP address, the MAC address to which it is assigned, the lease expiration, and whether the address assignment is dynamic or static. The DHCP lease database is stored in flash memory and can be backed up on a remote TFTP or RCP server. You can configure the intervals at which updates to the lease database (and backup) are done. Upon system reboot, the lease database will be loaded either from flash memory or from the TFTP or RCP server.

Note: The SSR DHCP server is not designed to work as the primary DHCP server in an enterprise environment with hundreds or thousands of clients that are constantly seeking IP address assignment or reassignment. A standalone DHCP server with a redundant backup server may be more suitable for this enterprise environment.

SmartSwitch Router User Reference Manual 75