dhcpd reads its configuration from the /etc/dhcpd.conf file.   The dhcpd.conf identifies the clients to the server, and defines the configuration that the server provides each client.   The sample dhcpd.conf file shown here-in dynamically assigns IP addresses to the DHCP clients on a subnet, and supports a few clients that require static addresses.

  # define global values that

  # apply to all systems

  max-lease-time 604800;

  default-lease-time 8699;

  option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;

  option domain "foobirds.org";

  option domain-name-servers 172.16.55.1, 172.16.5.1;

  option pop-server 172.16.18.1;

  # define the dynamic address

  # range for the subnet above

  subnet 172.16.55.0 netmask 255.255.255.0

  {

  option routers 172.16.55.1;

  option broadcast-address 172.16.55.255;

  range 172.16.55.64 172.16.55.255;

  range 172.16.55.200 172.16.55.250;

  }

  # use host statements for

  # clients that get static

  # addresses

  group {

     use-host-decl-names true;

     host kestrel {

        hardware ethernet 00:80:c7:aa:a8:04;

        fixed-address 172.16.55.4;

     }

  }

  host ibis {

   hardware ethernet 00:00:c0:a1:5e:10;

   fixed-address 172.16.55.16;

  }

max-lease-time 

   specifies the longest address lease(1 week) that dhcpd is allowed to grant, regardless of the lease length requested by the client

default-lease-time

   defines the address lease time used when a client does not request a specific address lease length (1 day)

option subnet-mask 

   defines the subnet mask.   If this option is not defined, the network mask from the subnet statement is used

option domain-name-servers 

   list the IP addresses of the DNS name server(s)

option domain 

   defines the default domain server or host

option lpr-servers 

   list the addresses of the print servers

option routers 

   lists the routers on the client's subnet in order of precedence

range 

   Defines the scope of addresses available for dynamic assignment

   The keyword dynamic-bootp, if included on the range statement, tells dhcpd to assign dynamic addresses to BootP clients as well as DHCP clients

   because BootP clients do not understand address leases, they are normally not given dynamic addresses