Service Name
dhcpd
Description
– The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), a derivation of the original Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), has expanded its usefulness beyond its thin-client origins. Enterprise-level systems often use the DHCP service to centralize the administration of TCP/IP addresses, network masks, hostnames, router and DNS information.
– The dhcpd service is run on the DHCP server. Upon booting, DHCP client machines broadcast queries for information which are then answered by the DHCP servers on the local network.
– The dhcpd service merely starts the dhcpd daemon during server start-up and stops it during server shutdown.
– The dhcpd service and daemon are made available via the dhcp rpm package.
Service Control
Below is the list of options available with the dhcpd service command.
# /sbin/service dhcpd
Usage: /etc/init.d/dhcpd {start|stop|restart|condrestart|configtest|status}
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| start | Begin accepting requests from DHCP/BOOTP clients |
| stop | Stop processing requests from DHCP/BOOTP clients |
| restart | Equivalent to a stop / start command sequence. |
| condrestart | Equivalent to a restart command if the service is already running, else ignored. Typically used during the RPM package installation setup. |
| configtest | Validate the configuration file syntax but do not start anything nor service any DHCP/BOOTP requests. |
| status | Display list of running dhcpd process ID’s else display a warning message. |
The configuration file must be edited for the local environment before the dhcpd service can be used. A sample file is available in the /usr/share/doc/dhcp-*/dhcpd.conf.sample file reproduced below: