DHCP Window server HW requirements

To recommend hardware requirements for your DHCP server based on Windows, especially considering your specifications (40 scopes, up to 800,000 clients, and a failover setup for redundancy), here's a detailed plan: 1. CPU Requirements - Main Server: A high-performance multi-core processor. - Recommendation: Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC, with at least 12 cores and hyper-threading. - Failover Server: Similar specs as the main server to ensure seamless failover. 2. Memory (RAM) - Main Server: Given the large number of clients, ample RAM is crucial. - Recommendation: 64 GB minimum. You might consider scaling up to 128 GB if your budget permits. - Failover Server: Same as the main server for consistency and reliability. 3. Storage - Main Server: Fast and reliable storage is necessary. - Recommendation: NVMe SSDs with at least 1 TB capacity. Consider RAID 1 or RAID 10 for redundancy within the server. - Failover Server: Similar setup to the main server for quick synchronization and failover. 4. Network Interface - Main Server: High-speed network interfaces to manage the large number of clients. - Recommendation: Dual 10 Gbps Network Interface Cards (NICs) to ensure high availability and redundancy. - Failover Server: Same network setup as the main server. 5. High Availability and Redundancy - Load Balancing: Ensure load balancing between the main and failover servers to manage traffic effectively. - Failover: Implement DHCP failover protocol to ensure continuous availability. Use a hot-standby configuration where the secondary server mirrors the primary server’s state almost in real-time. 6. Operating System and Software - Windows Server Version: Ensure you are using a supported version of Windows Server, such as Windows Server 2019 or later, which offers robust DHCP services and failover capabilities. - DHCP Settings: Configure DHCP scopes, address pools, and options appropriately for your network. 7. Backup and Recovery - Backup: Regular backups of the DHCP database are crucial. Use enterprise-grade backup solutions. - Recovery: Test the recovery process periodically to ensure minimal downtime in case of a server failure. Here is a summary table for quick reference: | CPU | Intel Xeon/AMD EPYC (12 cores, hyper-threading) | Same as Main Server | | Memory (RAM) | 64 GB minimum (128 GB preferred) | Same as Main Server | | Storage | 1 TB NVMe SSD, RAID 1/10 | Same as Main Server | | Network Interface | Dual 10 Gbps NICs | Same as Main Server | | Operating System | Windows Server 2019 or later | Same as Main Server | If you need more specific guidance or have constraints like budget or physical space, please provide additional details for a more tailored recommendation.