Creating Superscopes

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

A superscope is an administrative grouping of scopes that can support multiple logical IP subnets on the same physical subnet. Superscopes contain a list of member scopes that can be activated together. You cannot configure scope-level properties on superscopes; you must configure these on the member scopes. A superscope allows a DHCP server to provide leases from more than one scope to clients on a single physical network.

You can use superscopes to resolve DHCP service issues for the following situations:

  • DHCP clients are located on a single physical network segment that includes multiple logical IP subnets.

  • Multiple DHCP servers manage separate logical subnets on the same physical subnet.

  • The available address pool for an active scope is nearly depleted and more computers must be added to the physical network segment.

  • Clients are migrating to a new scope.

  • You need to support DHCP clients on a network that has multiple logical subnets in one physical subnet on the other side of a BOOTP/DHCP relay agent.

Before you create a superscope, you must use the DHCP MMC snap-in to define at least one scope to be included in the superscope. Scopes added to a superscope are called member scopes. You can add additional member scopes either from the superscope menu, or from the individual scope menus.

To create a new superscope

  1. In the DHCP snap-in, create at least one scope to be included in the superscope. For information about creating scopes, see "Creating Scopes" earlier in this chapter.

  2. Select and right-click the DHCP server, and then select New Superscope. This opens the New Superscope Wizard.

  3. On the Superscope Name page of the New Superscope Wizard, type a name for the superscope.

  4. On the Select Scopes page of the New Superscope Wizard, inthe Available Scopes list, select one or more scopes to include in the superscope.

To add scopes to an existing superscope

  1. In the DHCP snap-in, select and right-click the superscope, and then select New Scope. This opens the New Scope Wizard.

  2. Complete the New Scope Wizard. For information about creating scopes, see "Creating Scopes" earlier in this chapter.

    –or–

  3. Create a new scope, right-click the new scope, and then select Add to Superscope.

  4. In the Add Scope name to a Superscope dialog box, in the Available superscopes list, select the superscope.

Note

  • Deleting the superscope does not delete the member scopes.