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DHCP Removed?

Has DHCP been removed from OS X Server (Mountain Lion)? I see a few people complaining that it cannot be configured from the Server.app and there are no new ServerAdmin tools for this version. Some mention that the help file says it should be enabled in the Server.app but DHCP doesn't show up in the menu.

Posted on Jul 25, 2012 8:21 AM

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32 replies

Jul 25, 2012 8:58 AM in response to mountainman95

Looks like it's removed in the build of 10.8 Server. I've checked if it's available via CLI, but serveradmin doesn't know this bundle identifier which tells us that indeed, DHCPD doesn't exist. I think it's highly questionable to exclude DHCP from OS X Server, while other outdated services return, such as FTP, which is unsecure and obsolete. Maybe Apple adds DHCPD in 10.8.x simply because the integration into the new server app wasn't ready.


Alex

Jul 25, 2012 9:29 AM in response to Alex33

I am holding back the upgrade until it becomes clear if DHCP Server is going to exists or not. It is crazy to remove DHCP especially when the addition options/settings are not available in AirPort Extreme and Express, and also in SMB environment, it may be necessary to have it on OS X Server than on network devices.

Jul 25, 2012 2:29 PM in response to Joe Husk

There's this doc on Apple.com:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5381


It says this, rather oblique, statement:


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DHCP

The DHCP service is no longer managed as a separate service in OS X Server. DHCP is used by the NetInstall service to provide startup information to NetInstall and NetBoot clients. It can also used by Internet Sharing (in the Sharing pane of System Preferences) to provide addresses to clients sharing the server's internet connection. Only one of these two services can be used at one time.


If you enabled NAT and DHCP in Server Admin in Lion Server, your configuration will not be preserved when you upgrade to OS X Server (Mountain Lion). You can restore the default NAT and DHCP configuration by disabling then enabling Internet Sharing in System Preferences.


If you enabled DHCP (only) in Lion Server, or you enabled DHCP in Mac OS X Server v10.6, your configuration will be preserved and remain active when you upgrade to OS X Server (Mountain Lion).

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Also notice that the Firewall 'service' is gone. They are also deprecating ipfw. So your firewall rules that you already setup remain in place after the upgrade, but you have to use the command-line to edit them:


----------------------------


Firewall

The Firewall service is no longer managed by OS X Server. Existing Firewall rules remain active after upgrade, but any further firewall configuration must be performed on the command line. For more information, see this article.


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I trolled around the internet, and found this useful sounding tool:

http://www.hanynet.com/icefloor/index.html


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So the question really becomes, with all the manual work now required to 'upgrade' to ML Server, why not just go with a Linux Server and do it all manually? The utility of OS X Server has become marginalized.

Jul 25, 2012 2:54 PM in response to jerrythea

This is from the OS X Server: Advanced Administration -

https://help.apple.com/advancedserveradmin/mac/10.8/


If you don’t have a DHCP server, you can set up OS X Server’s DHCP service. For information, see this help topic: DHCP setup overview.


AND:


Start or stop DHCP service


You start DHCP service to provide IP addresses to users. You must have at least one subnet created and enabled.

HideStart or stop DHCP service in Server Admin

  1. Open Server Admin and connect to the server.
  2. Click the triangle at the left of the server.The list of services appears.
  3. From the expanded Servers list, select DHCP.
  4. Click the Start DHCP or the Stop Now button (below the Servers list).If you start DHCP and the Firewall service is running, a warning appears asking you to verify that all ports used by DHCP are open. Click OK.

The service runs until you stop it. It restarts when your server is restarted.


Jul 25, 2012 3:00 PM in response to mountainman95

On wow. Glad I stumbled across this. The inability to easily manage my DNS is a show stopper. Yes, I could "manually" edit bootpd.plist in the terminal - doesn't scare me at all. But considering the wrench time I've spent in terminal with Lion, and now this "one more thing", I might as well go with a Linux box and be done with it.


Someone who bought ML Server might want to do a review and note this. You can't write a review until you actually purchase the app - which I won't be anytime soon.

Jul 26, 2012 12:20 AM in response to mountainman95

Well, then my feedback is "very disappointed". I was looking forward to ML Server fixing some of the bugs we experienced in Lion Server and the new Profile Manager. No I've got two schools that are totally Mac-based with no way to upgrade them until we bring in a separate DHCP solution unless Apple gets their act together and fixes this pronto. I can see a small business getting away with running their DHCP through an Airport Extreme, but if Apple is serious about marketing their server to medium businesses as well, they're going to need to do better.

Jul 26, 2012 12:30 AM in response to jgrunewald

jgrunewald - spot on really.


Apple have made a big error here, turning a business Server into a toy.


I now have DHCP server running on a Microsoft Windows server - so they have just lost an important Apple infrasturcture server, and had it replaced with a Microsoft server.


I am very dissapointed with Apple for this change and the lack of clarity in the documentation.


Our ony hope is that Apple or a developer creates a DHCP server application.

Jul 26, 2012 2:03 AM in response to ikilby

Well I read Jerrythea's post and it seems that since I had DHCP (only) running under Lion that my config seems to have been preserved. I disabled DHCP on my router and my clients picked up their old reservations and DNS assignments. The config in bootp.list looks fine; however, I can't locate the file bootptab that is referenced for adding/deleting reservations.


Anyone have any tips on where to find bootptab please?


I hope that managing DHCP via texteditor is only a stopgap measure until DHCP is either implmented back into the Server app, or another iteration of Server Admin is released.

DHCP Removed?

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