Fail over DHCP help

So I had one DHCP machine with 6 scopes on it. And wouldn't you know, it
died the other day. Some users could not access the network because there
was no server.

I have decided to add another DHCP server and would like to take the subnet
and split it 50/50 between the two servers. Should I do this or somthing
else?

Ideally I would like if DHCP Server1 was not there all requests would go to
DHCP Server 2, and vise versa. Is something like this possible?
--
Thanks,

Mike

=?Utf-8?B?TWlrZQ==?= <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:5A10CFD3-D5B0-4D2B-BE11-(E-Mail Removed):

> So I had one DHCP machine with 6 scopes on it. And wouldn't you know,
> it died the other day. Some users could not access the network
> because there was no server.
>
> I have decided to add another DHCP server and would like to take the
> subnet and split it 50/50 between the two servers. Should I do this
> or somthing else?
>
> Ideally I would like if DHCP Server1 was not there all requests would
> go to DHCP Server 2, and vise versa. Is something like this possible?

Yes, this is a good idea and it is a supported configuration. Information
on this type of arrangement can be found in the DHCP Help as the "80/20
rule," however people generally implement this as 50/50.

The Help topic that contains this info is "Configuring scopes"
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Window...45d-19f2-4f13-
8a7b-95ca35b021981033.mspx

If for some reason you want clients to maintain a particular IP address (as
with printers or servers), you can configure reservations for those clients
on both DHCP servers.

Even if an address is excluded on a DHCP server by an exclusion range, you
can configure the IP address as a reservation and the DHCP server will
honor it. This is useful in circumstances where a scope is split between
two servers.

For more info see the topic "Using client reservations" at
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Window...112-34c5-49b5-
9795-155d89035f0d1033.mspx

--
James McIllece, Microsoft

Please do not send email directly to this alias. This is my online account
name for newsgroup participation only.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

It's the way I do it too. (50/50)
The Scopes are identical,..only the Exclusions are different. If one dies,
you just open up or delete the Exclusions on the remaining one. When the
dead one is fixed, put the Exclusions back as they were.

--
Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed are my own (as annoying as they are), and not those of
my employer or anyone else associated with me.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5A10CFD3-D5B0-4D2B-BE11-(E-Mail Removed)...
> So I had one DHCP machine with 6 scopes on it. And wouldn't you know, it
> died the other day. Some users could not access the network because there
> was no server.
>
> I have decided to add another DHCP server and would like to take the
> subnet
> and split it 50/50 between the two servers. Should I do this or somthing
> else?
>
> Ideally I would like if DHCP Server1 was not there all requests would go
> to
> DHCP Server 2, and vise versa. Is something like this possible?
> --
> Thanks,
>
> Mike