Linux

Ask something
Discussion Locked

DHCP failover

0 helpful
3 replies

by quake

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

I am having a problem configuring the failover on my DHCP server.
When not configured for failover clients are able to receive IPs. Once I change the configuration, the dhcp starts up without any errors, but if I try to get an IP by ipconfig /renew, I get the DHCP in unreachable message.
I have even stripped down the config file to one subnet and connected the a pc to it directly with a crossover cable. I can ping it and telnet to it, but I can't get an IP.
One question that I have is: isthe secondary DHCP server required for it to work?
I dont have the secondary hooked up, but the whole point of failover is for it to be able to take over the failed one.

Please help,

Thanx

3 replies

by servermonkey

The way DHCP works, it really doesn't function well with a failover (I'm assuming you have something like a secondary dns server in mind). Depending on what os you are using, you may be able to setup a script that would start up the DHCP server on another machine should your primary fail. The only way I know of to have redundant DHCP servers is have one serve a portion of the DHCP range, and another serve the rest of the range. This will only be a failover if you have enough free ip addresses in each range to absorb the other's (a max of 127 hosts for each subnet).

This discussion is closed to new replies.