DHCP Management Across a Diversified Network?

ET Admin writes "I work for a small Wireless ISP, where we are deploying new network hardware to allow for growth and contain broadcast traffic. All routing/switching equipment is Cisco. We use Linux stand-alone boxes and VMs (running on Win 2003 boxes). We have decided on a hybrid VLAN layout where we have certain VLANs limited by location, and other VLANs that are global across the network. And I want DHCP served across it all. Does anyone have experience with IPAM software that handles multiple DHCP servers? Our network is small so spending a couple grand is overkill at this point. Any recomendations to help me decide between serving DHCP from the Nix boxes, or from the Cisco gear? Knowing that a single DHCP server will handle from 100-500 hosts."

Comments

DHCP Relaying

[Anonymous Coward]

setup DHCP Relaying on the switches to forward/relay all dhcp request across the vlans and subnets to one (or two) dhcp servers

Re:DHCP Relaying

[Anonymous Coward]

DHCP Relay Agent in Cisco Routers

Cisco Routers support DHCP Relay Agents with ip helper-address command. To enable the ip helper-address on an interface that will receive client BOOTP/DHCP broadcasts.

From the Global configuration mode,

Router(config)# interface fa 0/0

Router(config-if)# ip helper-addres 10.10.10.1

Router(config-if)# ip helper-addres 10.10.10.2

Re:DHCP Relaying

[cr0nj0b]

Or two dhcp servers. Just in case the path to the first dhcp server is unavailable

http://www.madboa.com/geek/dhcp-failover/

Re:I have the solution you need...

[poptix_work]

Also, here's a small sample config for serving a particular pool on a particular interface (which would be the vlan "interface" on the Cisco), easily found on Google:

class "vlan1234"
{
                match if
                (
                                (binary-to-ascii(16, 8, ".", option agent.remote-id) = "0.15.63.ab.52.16") # This is the MAC of the switch
                                and
                                (binary-to-ascii (10,8, ".", option agent.circuit-id) = "0.0.0.47") # This is the interface number
                );
}

pool {
                range 192.168.100.5 192.168.100.254;
                max-lease-time 300;

                option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
                option routers 192.168.100.1;
                allow members of "vlan1234";
}