Planning MADCAP Servers

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

The Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP), built on a client/server model, enables a computer to request an IP multicast address from one or more multicast address allocation servers, known as MADCAP servers. If a client sends a message and does not receive a response, it can retransmit its request.

MADCAP as defined in RFC 2730, "Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP)," differs substantially and is separate from DHCP. However, the Windows Server 2003 DHCP service combines support for both the DHCP and MADCAP protocols for IPv4. Although MADCAP is packaged in the DHCP service, the DHCP and MADCAP services are independent of each other. A DHCP client might or might not be a MADCAP client, and a MADCAP client might or might not be a DHCP client.

MADCAP Without DHCP

To use the DHCP service to deploy MADCAP servers independently of DHCP servers, create one or more multicast scopes, but do not create other scopes or superscopes. The MADCAP server also functions as a DHCP server only if you configure other scopes or superscopes.

MADCAP Security

The IPSec protocol meets MADCAP requirements for client/server identification and integrity protection as described in RFC 2730, and requires no modifications to the MADCAP protocol. Therefore, when you require strong security, use IPSec to protect all of the unicast messages of the MADCAP protocol.

For more information about MADCAP, including how to use IPSec in conjunction with MADCAP, see RFC 2730, "Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP)."