Apple Mac OS X Server (Administrator’s Guide) - Manual (Page 475)

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DHCP Service
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) service lets you administer and distribute IP
addresses to client computers from your server. When you configure the DHCP server, you
assign a block of IP addresses that can be made available to clients. Each time a client
computer starts up, it looks for a DHCP server on your network. If a DHCP server is found,
the client computer then requests an IP address. The DHCP server checks for an available IP
address and sends it to the client computer along with a “lease period” (the length of time
the client computer can use the address) and configuration information.
You can use the DHCP module in Server Settings to
m configure and administer DHCP service
m create and administer subnets
m configure DNS and NetInfo options for client computers
m view DHCP and NetBoot client computers
If your organization has more clients than IP addresses, you will benefit from using DHCP
service. IP addresses are assigned on an as-needed basis, and when they are not needed, they
are available for use by other clients. You can use a combination of static and dynamic IP
addresses for your network if you need to. Read the next section for more information about
static and dynamic allocation of IP addresses.
Larger organizations may also benefit from some of the other features DHCP service
provides, such as being able to set DNS and NetInfo options for client computers.
You may not need to use DHCP service if you have a simple network with enough IP
addresses for your clients. You can use one of the methods described later in this chapter to
assign static IP addresses to all your network clients.
Before You Set Up DHCP Service
Before you set up DHCP service, read this section for information about creating subnets,
assigning static and dynamic IP addresses, locating your server on the network, and avoiding
reserved IP addresses.