DHCP for Windows 2000

The DHCP Database

The DHCP database is the most critical component in a DHCP infrastucture. Each DHCP server maintains its own database. This database contains the server’s current configuration, such as scopes, reservations, exclusions, options, and so on, as well as active leases.

The DHCP database found in Windows 2000 uses the Exchange Server Storage engine v4.0. The files that make up the DHCP database are located in the directory %systemroot%\system32\dhcp. They are listed and described in Table 7.2.

Table 7-2. DHCP Database Files

File	Description
DHCP.MDB	The DHCP database file.
DHCP.TMP	A swap file used by the database during maintenance operations.
J50.LOG	A transaction log detailing database activity. These log files are used to recover the database in the event of a failure.
J50.CHK	A checkpoint file.

The DHCP database is backed up automatically every 15 minutes by default. By editing the following registry key, this interval can be changed:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters\BackupInterval

The location of the backup copy of the DHCP database located in the directory %systemroot%\system32\dhcp\backup by default. The location can be changed by editing the following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCPServer\Parameters\BackupDatabasePath

You can force a backup copy of the database to be created by stopping and restarting the DHCP service.

Compacting the DHCP Database

The size of the DHCP database is proportional ...