How to test Windows 2012 R2 DHCP Failover without shutting down the service?

Question

_{Tuesday, February 24, 2015 12:40 PM}

How can I test the Win2012R2 DHCP Failover?

There is a command or script, that i could use to test if DHCP failover is working properly?

How to monitor the sync of the objects?

How to make sure that it will do the job, if required?

Or i have to really stop DHCP server main server and see the failover?

All replies (3)

_{Wednesday, February 25, 2015 12:48 PM ✅Answered}

Hello,

you have to keep in mind that this has ONLY effect for machines that request during the downtime a lease. So if your lease time is for example 8 hours a computer will ask after 4 hours for the renewal of the lease.

Means there is no problem for running machines during the test. You just need a computer to start after the service is shutdown on the first DHCP server, should take only some minutes to check if the fail over works. Then you could already start the service again if you see the lease on the new server.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber

MVP, MCP, MCTS

Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

My Blog: http://blogs.msmvps.com/MWeber

Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

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_{Wednesday, February 25, 2015 6:58 AM}

Hi,

>>Or i have to really stop DHCP server main server and see the failover?

From my point of view, stopping the DHCP service is a good way to test the DHCP failover.

If there is no other service running on the server, shutdown the network interface also works.

Best Regards

Steven Lee Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help and unmark them if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

_{Wednesday, February 25, 2015 10:18 AM}

I was hoping for a powershel cmdlet and a "whatif" parameter, to make testing more safe and the test could be used under production, withour risk