Allocation mechanisms

DHCP supports the following mechanisms for IP address allocation.

• Static allocation: The network administrator assigns an IP address to a client like a WWW server, and DHCP conveys the assigned address to the client.

• Automatic allocation: DHCP assigns a permanent IP address to a client.

• Dynamic allocation: DHCP assigns an IP address to a client for a limited period of time, which is called a lease. Most DHCP clients obtain their addresses in this way.