Migrating to cloud? Retain critical DHCP service on site

As internet connectivity becomes ubiquitous, companies are increasingly migrating IT infrastructure from physical servers to cloud-based solutions like AWS or Azure. This makes sense for most of the services in an organisation's data centre/server room, reducing complexity and costs with little difference in the services themselves.

But some infrastructure, including DHCP, is unavailable on popular cloud platforms and, in any case, is too critical to migrate and leave at the mercy of a Single Point of Failure: the internet connection.

It's likely that you're using Windows Server for DHCP services and, with this solution available in Azure, cloud migration is often prompted by a Windows Server refreshment project. Whilst you can move other Windows Server functionality to Azure, DHCP is not supported. With such a high maintenance burden, it doesn't make sense to retain an on-site instance of Windows Server solely for DHCP.

Diagram comparing three DHCP setups during cloud migration: 1. Cloud-based DHCP increases monitoring
hassle and risk of lease expiry, 2. Duplicating Windows Server is costly and complex, 3. Local DHCP server with DNSBOX
offers easy deployment, no configuration compromise, and straightforward redundancy

DNSBOX offers a cost-effective on-site alternative that additionally enables you to deploy a High Availability pair of DHCP servers and that customers describe as "DHCP at its finest".

The Office of the State Treasurer is a government department that manages the cash and investment for the State of Georgia. Chief Information Security Officer Bill Wyatt had decided to upgrade to cloud-based networking – but that left him with a problem on what to do for DHCP. Despite the relatively small size of its office network, with 35 users and a dozen VLAN links, Bill still needed a reliable, on-site DHCP solution to ensure a latency-free and secure network.

The department was relying on its existing Windows Server for DHCP, but the ongoing license costs had become too expensive to maintain for such a small service. In addition, Bill was increasingly concerned about the safety of his network, as Windows Servers in general have a broader attack surface and require extensive maintenance to protect against threats:

"I was trying to get away from Windows due to the numerous patching and security risks. I prefer having a dedicated appliance with fewer risks and vulnerabilities.”

A dedicated server would meet the need for local network connectivity and, because it is configured with only the necessary DHCP functionality, require fewer patch updates with less risk than a full-featured Windows Server.

Bill reached out to ApplianSys for more information on the DNSBOX solution, and upon closer inspection found it to be the perfect fit for his needs:

A dedicated appliance, with a hardened operating system making it inherently secure
A single intuitive user interface for straightforward DHCP management
Purpose-built devices mean lower cost and lower admin overhead – you don't have to pay for or maintain features you don't need

"DHCP is much easier to manage on DNSBOX! The interface is good and user-friendly once you are shown how to use it. It's well-structured and organised in a logical way."

Bill has deployed a pair of DNSBOX200 devices as an on-site DHCP solution configured for high availability. This adds an extra layer of redundancy to their network – ensuring maximum service uptime.

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