What is a DHCP?

DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.

When employed in a client–server structure, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network administration protocol that can be used on Internet Protocol (IP) networks for autonomously configuring IP addresses and other communication characteristics to users in the network.

A network DHCP server is strategically deployed and client versions of the protocol stack are installed on each digital device .These are the two network elements that shape the technology, which removes the urge to explicitly configure network gadgets at the same time. The DHCP protocol is used by a client to acquire a set of features from a DHCP server when it first connects to a network and on a periodic basis after that connection is made.

It is possible to deploy DHCP on networks of varying sizes, ranging from small home networks to big university campuses and larger ISP networks. A large number of modems, residential gateways and routers are equipped with DHCP server functionality. The majority of household network routers are assigned a different IP address within their ISP's infrastructure. A DHCP server is responsible for assigning a different IP address to each computer on a local network.

IP Address and DHCP?

When computer systems interact inside and throughout local networks upon the Internet, they are referred to as Internet Protocol (IP). A DHCP server is capable of managing IP settings for computers connected to their local network. DHCP server does this by allocating IP addresses to those computers in an automated and significant manner.

The client–server concept underpins the operation of DHCP. As soon as a computer establishes a network connection, the DHCP client application transmits a DHCP dissemination query to the network, which requests the essential information. Any DHCP server on the internet is capable of fulfilling the request. An IP address pool and data about client setup settings including domain name, name servers, and servers are managed using the DHCP.

Functioning of DHCP server

?When a DHCP request is received, the DHCP server responds with particular data with respect to the client. This data is already configured via an administrator, with a particular IP address and relevant information . In most cases, a DHCP client tends to ask for the data needed after booting. Initially, when a DHCP client requests a refresh of an assignment, it asks the same input variables as it did previously; however, the DHCP server may issue a different address depending on the task regulations defined by administrators.

When a sole DHCP server is used in conjunction with DHCP series server deployed on the interconnected routers, a single DHCP server can handle the whole network on big networks that are composed of several connections. DHCP agents are responsible for relaying communications among DHCP clients and DHCP servers that are situated on separate networks.

Techniques of allocating IP addresses by DHCP servers:

Manual Allocation Technique

In manual Allocation Technique, in order to provide each client with an IP address, an administrator translates each client's unique identifier or client's MAC address to an IP address that the requesting client can use. In the event that this approach collapses, DHCP servers can be set to continue to another mechanism.

DHCP services are specified for the types: Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). The IPv4 and IPv6 protocols are considerably distinct in their implementation specifics that they can be regarded as independent protocols. The use of link-local addressing by IPv6 hosts allows systems to perform actions that are limited to the local network.

Dynamic Allocation Technique

An IP address range is reserved by a network administrator for DHCP, and each DHCP client connected to the local area network (LAN) is set to demand an IP address through the DHCP server in the duration of the network's installation. IP addresses which are not updated can be reclaimed and then reallocated by the DHCP server.

Automatic Allocation Technique

The DHCP server assigns a fixed IP address to a querying client from a range of IP Network established by the system administrator. This is similar to dynamic allocation, except that the DHCP server maintains a database of prior IP address deployments, allowing it to provide a client the IP address which the client already had.?