DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol; it’s used to automatically assign TCP/IP addresses to client with the correct subnet mask and also default gateway and DNS server. We can perform this action by two ways one is using DHCP from a DHCP server and another one is manual configuration where we have to tell the computer about subnet mask. DHCP scope has a valid range of IP addresses which is given to client computers on specific subnet on lease.

In DHCP server, you have to configure a scope to conclude the address of IPs which the server provides or can provide to DHCP clients. So scopes confirm which IP addresses are provided to clients. Before DHCP clients use the DHCP server the scopes should be defined and also activated, for its dynamic IP configuration. There is no limit, so you can configure many scopes on DHCP server as much you require for your network.

Single subnet can have a single DHCP scope, which has a single continuous range of IP addresses. Group of addresses or specific addresses can be excluded from the range which the DHCP scope specifies. Usually one scope can be assigned to a subnet. If you need more than one scope on a subnet then you must create a scope and then combined into a super scope. There are three kinds of scopes:

• Scope: A scope is the one where DHCP server assigns to clients a range of IP addresses that are on one subnet.

• Super scope: Where several subnets are spanned by range of IP addresses. The DHCP server can allocate and assign these addresses to clients that are on various subnets.

• Multicast scope: It’s a range of IP address of class D from 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255, which can be assigned to different computers when it’s required. It’s assigned to one IP address, and can be used to send messages to number of computers at the same time with one copy of message. The MADCAP is used which helps the multitask address from a DHCP to be assigned when it’s requested.

The best example can be, if you have two subnets and you create two individual scopes for the subnets on one DHCP server. You will create a scope because the subnets have different IP addressing schemes.
DHCP leases process is used to reduce DHCP network traffic by giving clients specific addresses. The stages can be remembered as ROSA:
1.    Request
2.    Offer
3.    Selection
4.    Acknowledgement

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