Chapter 17

How to use  the Dynamic Host Protocol Program (DHCP)

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Application Programming Interface (API), also referred to as DHCP Client Options, enables Microsoft Windows clients to query specific options from DHCP servers. This enables vendor-specific options exposed through DHCP servers to be queried by Windows clients.
Developers are provided access to critical phases of DHCP processing with the DHCP Server API With this access, developers can create customized extensions to the DHCP Server, monitor statistics, create parallel lease databases, and provide other customized solutions.
DHCP is a standardized protocol that enables clients to be dynamically assigned with various configuration parameters, such as an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and other critical network configuration information. DHCP servers centrally manage such configuration data, and are configured by network administrators with settings that are appropriate for a given network environment. DHCP servers, in turn, communicate with DHCP clients through the use of DHCP messages.