DHCP: The server database should be functional and free of errors
Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012
This topic is intended to address a specific issue identified by a Best Practices Analyzer scan. You should apply the information in this topic only to computers that have had the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Best Practices Analyzer run against them and are experiencing the issue addressed by this topic. For more information about best practices and scans, see Best Practices Analyzer (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=122786).
Operating System |
Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 |
Product/Feature |
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) |
Severity |
Error |
Category |
Operation |
Issue
The DHCP server failed to open the database.
Impact
If the DHCP server database reports an error while opening the database, the DHCP service will shut down.
Resolution
Restore the last successfully backed up copy of the DHCP database from the backup directory.
Whenever the DHCP service shuts down correctly, it makes a backup copy of both the database file (Dhcp.mdb) and the registry key. The backup information from the registry is contained in the file Dhcpcfg. If the DHCP database becomes corrupted, it should be restored from the backup copy.
To perform this procedure you must be a member of the Administrators group or the DHCP Administrators group on the DHCP server
To restore the DHCP database
Click Start, point to Administrative Tools and then click DHCP.
On the Action menu click Restore
In the Browse For Folder dialog box, select the folder that contains the backup DHCP database, and then click OK.
Note
Additional references
For updated detailed IT pro information about DHCP, see the Windows Server 2008 R2 documentation on the Microsoft TechNet Web site.