Configuring DHCP Server On Windows Server 2012 Essay.

Configuring DHCP server on Windows Server 2012

A network server that helps an individual while providing them, as well as assigning them with the network server is known to be as a DHCP server. The full form of DHCP is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. This network server helps in automation of the network parameters being used by a certain user, while helping them to properly communicate with other device while being connected in the network. A DHCP server plays the most important role in the setting the network parameters of a client associating with it. Without the use of DHCP, it would become extremely hard for the network administrator to manage the network parameters of the clients associated with the network, because, without the use of DHCP, the network administrator would have to establish the network parameters manually, which can create problem, in case of a large network interface.

The DHCP server, while assigning a new client with the network, provides with a unique dynamic IP address, that changes, if the client’s lease for that particular IP addresses gets expired. While a DHCP configuration, it not only assigns the IP address of the client, but it also helps to provide various configuration options, that could be used by the client, while interacting with the network. Since, it had been known that without the use of a DHCP server, the network administrator would have to manually configure every network IP address, while with the implementation of DHCP server, all this kinds of works gets done automatically, which could be useful for handling a huge network infrastructure more easily. The DHCP server performs two kinds of tasks. It either helps to provide free IP addresses, or it helps to assign static addresses for the clients associating with the network, which could be beneficial for them to be identified via the MAC addresses.

Although, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a management server that helps to manage the device’s IP network configuration process, so that the client associated with the network can easily utilize various network services that includes DNS, NTP, a kind of communication based on TCP or UDP protocol, over the network. In addition to that, a DHCP server is beneficial for minimizing the errors occurring while configuring new device, then it is caused while manically assigning an IP address to the client’s device. In addition to that, a DHCP server helps in centralizing and automating a TCP/IP network configuration, since it holds the ability to define such network protocols from a centralized location. Thus, this report will be discussing about every process involved with the implementation of a DHCP or the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol on the windows server 2012, where, various methods, like installation of Windows Server 2021 will be performed, after which an IP address for the windows server installed will be configured, which will be followed by configuring the Virtual Machine that would be used for installing the Windows 2012 server. After that, certain DHCP roles will be added, which will be beneficial for creating new user on the machine, while enabling the login of one user. All this process will be beneficial for successfully configuring the DHCP Server in the Windows Server 2012.

Installing windows server 2012 on Vmware workstation

As it has been known already, DHCP or the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is implemented in the networking as network services. This is used for the automatic allocation of the IP addresses for different devices on the network. this reduces the manual configuration of host on TCP/IP based networks.

For the configuration of DHCP server, it is essential to install it in the Windows Server 2012, and following are the steps.

The installation has been completed and further work will be carried out.

After this, administrator has to click next followed by the selection of role-based installation options and then click next.

Here, local DHCP would be installed and there would be selection of a server generated from the server pool. Now, from the list of roles, the DHCP server role has to be verified and features are to be added by Add features as shown below,

After this, there would be pop ups for verification and cross check where administrator has to click next for further movement into the installation. Next, the administrator has to click on to install.

After the completion of server installation, administrator would now move on to the post-deployment configuration.

For the post deployment configuration, administrator would click on to the warning button present at the top and then click on to the DHCP configuration as shown below,

After clicking on to next, there has to be selection of domain user account which will be having all the permissions regarding creating services in the network within the active directory or domain user account.

From the above, it could be seen that the the user has been created. The server would reply to the client which an offer of the DHCP packet which would be containing an IP address. Here, the offere which would be received by the client machine would be validated and after the validation, the client machine would send a request packet back to the server which is to accept the address. After this, the server would again send an acknowledgement packet back to the client in order to confirm the IP address which has been allocated for the client machine.  

In this phase, there has to be configuration of the services in order to make it useful for the computers. In order to make this happen, some of the steps taken are,

Configuring the IP address

The above is screen snap taken from the server manager screen and then tools which is followed by the DHCP. This is followed by the right click on DHCP server where add/remove bindings option is clicked.

From the above, it would be observed that the IPv4 scope has been created by the administrator. A scope which could also be determined as an extension, is a successive range of IP addresses to that a DHCP server will be able to manage and satisfy an IP address demand from a DHCP client. The server can deal with the conveyance and task of IP locations to DHCP clients by characterizing at least one extension on the DHCP server.

Configuration settings for DHCP has been opened in the wizard where IP address has been allocated from the start and end along with length and subnet mask.  

Here, authorization of the DHCP server is done. Authorization should happen before a DHCP server is allowed to give leases to associated DHCP clients. On the off chance that one is designing a DHCP server, approval should happen as a feature of an Active Directory domain. Requiring approval of the DHCP servers keeps unapproved DHCP servers from offering possibly invalid IP locations to clients.

Here, the DHCP configuration is successful as the VM2 gets dynamic IP address.

Conclusion

The above report has been based on the DHCP server configuration on Windows Server 2012 R2. In order to do this, there has been discussion of the DHCP in depth and the understanding has been made clear. In the report, DHCP has been stated to be implemented in the networking as network services. In addition to that, a DHCP server is beneficial for minimizing the errors occurring while configuring new device, then it is caused while manically assigning an IP address to the client’s device. This is used for the automatic allocation of the IP addresses for different devices on the network. It also helps to provide various configuration options, that could be used by the client, while interacting with the network. This reduces the manual configuration of host on TCP/IP based networks.

Moreover, there report has demonstrated the configuration of DHCP server over windows server 2012 R2. In the report there has been overall steps shown for the configuration of DHCP server, where the DHCP services are installed in the server, roles have been added, domain name has been created and so forth. In the report, there has been creation of user such that the server would reply to the client which an offer of the DHCP packet which would be containing an IP address. The client machine would reply and after this, the server would again send an acknowledgement packet back to the client in order to confirm the IP address which has been allocated for the client machine. Therefore, complete configuration of the DHCP server has been shown over windows server 2012 R2.

References

Pradana, D.A. and Budiman, A.S., 2021. The DHCP Snooping and DHCP Alert Method in Securing DHCP Server from DHCP Rogue Attack. IJID (International Journal on Informatics for Development), 10(1), pp.38-46.

Syafei, W.A., Soetrisno, Y.A.A. and Prasetijo, A.B., 2020, November. Simple Smart Algorithm for Flexibility of Dynamic Allocation in DHCP Server for SOHO Wireless Router. In 2020 International Conference on Computer Engineering, Network, and Intelligent Multimedia (CENIM) (pp. 321-325). IEEE.

Tok, M.S. and Demirci, M., 2021. Security analysis of SDN controller-based DHCP services and attack mitigation with DHCPguard. Computers & Security, 109, p.102394.

Yaibuates, M., Chaisricharoen, R. and Rai, C., 2018. Implementing of IP address Recovery for DHCP Service. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, 13(5), pp.2659-2662.