Allocation mechanisms

DHCP supports the following allocation mechanisms:

• Static allocation—The network administrator assigns an IP address to a client, such as 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.