DHCP on windows versus UNIX

[mvr]

We are in dilemma what to do.
Should we install DNS and DHCP on the HP-UX 11i, or should we put DNS and DHCP on the Windows 2000 server, or DNS on the HP-UX 11i and DHCP on the windows 2000 server.
Please let me know what would be the best and the most correct solution.

Miro

[Steven E. Protter · Accepted solution]

I can't stand windows. They repeated don't like to follow standards.

That being said, it really doesn't mattter.

DNS is easy to administer on Unix. There are a couple of files to maintain with server names and IP addresses and you're done.

DHCP is also pretty easy, and there is one text file and an activation variable in /etc/rc.config.d

Windows 2000 is pretty easy to set up, because it has an easy to use GUI. You don't have to worry about syntax, which is an issue in Unix.

In practice I found due to issues never explained, as our network got bigger the Windows 2000 DNS/DHCP servers were a little slow giving answers. So slow, that I moved my HP-UX box up to number one in /etc/resolv.conf to get faster answers to requests.

If I had a choice, I'd do it all with HP-UX. Its a much more reliable OS than Windows 2K, and Windows 2000 is pretty darned reliable.

I'm prejudiced though.

SEP

[A. Clay Stephenson]

My answer to this is always the same. Go to www.isc.org and download the source for both, compile, and install it. It's really very easy and you will have the best and most up-to-date versions. These are the guys who develop/maintain the standards and theirs is absolutely the best there is. It's all I use.

[mvr]

Steven,

Thank you for the tip. we do agree that we should go with the HP-UX all the way. However I don't have any experience how to set up DHCP on HP-UX. DNS I did before, but not the DHCP.
Do you have any good link where I could get the white papers or how too?
How close would be Linux 8.0 for the testing?

Miro

[Sachin Patel]

Hi Miro,
I will go with windows because dynamic update is very easy to setup on windows. If you have any plan to set dynamic dns update setup dns/dhcp both on windows. I don't like windows either but we have decided to go with windows as well.

Unix/Linux works very great as well for both purpose no doubt about it but then you will have to depend on unix admin to fix anything while on windows dns/dhcp either you or windows admin can fix many problems.

Sachin

[mvr]

Is the dynamic update on HP-UX a problem? Is it buggy or just hard to setup? We would definitely want dynamic update.

Miro

[Sachin Patel]

Miro,
BIND 9.2.2 is the newer bind version. HP do not ship that with their cd's you have to compile it by your self.

You can find linux rpm easily. I don't know the version on top of my head about windows dns.

When I was testing dynamic dns update on hp I have hard time to setup. that doesn't mean it is faulty it might be easy for you.
When I did dynamic dns update testing on win-2000 without any prior knowledge of win2k's dns I was done in few hours.

DHCP is easy to setup in win2k as well. just few clicks.

Only draw back is that windows gets blue screen more often then unix/linux. But if you have decent hardware I don't think it will be problem. second you have to keep you win2k server pretty secure but if it is internal dns and inside your firewall then no problem.

Sachin

[A. Clay Stephenson]

BIND 9.2.2 is available from ISC and it absolutely, positively handles dynamic DNS. The really good feature about their version of DHCP is that you can easily handle cases of fixed IP address assignments coming from different subnets. Suppose that you have a user who travels from one site to another (with different subnets) using a laptop - the same MAC address can get different IP addresses based upon the subnet that originates the dhcp request. This can be very helpful in setting up firewall rules.

Don't be intimidated by the need to compile the source; the instructions are there and it's very easy.

[mvr]

Thnk you for the feed back !
I just read on

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/bind9.html

that BIND 9.2.2 in not supported on HP-UX 11.11 (11i)

"HP-UX 11.11 is not yet supported due to its incompatible SIOCGLIFCONF ioctl"

Should I go with the version BIND 8.3.4
Is this version as goo as 9.2.2 ?

Miro

[Sachin Patel]

Hi Clay,
I am not trying to intimidat. I was just puting up what I face.

I agree that once it setup on unix then it is easy ride. Currently we have dns on hpux and I have only problem once a year just because someone or myself makes typing error.

Thanks
Sachin

[Sachin Patel]

Hi Miro,
Here are some links you want to check they are documents

http://www.nominum.com/content/documents/bind9arm.pdf

http://ops.ietf.org/dns/dynupd/secure-ddns-howto.html

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/

http://www.consistent.org/terran/dyndns.shtml

http://unbound.sourceforge.net/manual/Bv9ARM.html


http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/default.asp?url=/WINDOWS2000/en/server/help/sag_DNS_und_DynamicUpdates.htm

Sachin