Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol.
A
protocol that provides a means to dynamically allocate[IP addresses]
? to computers on a
local area network. The system administrator assigns a range of IP addresses to DHCP and each client computer on the LAN has its TCP/IP software configured to request automatically an IP address from the DHCP server when it starts up. The request and grant process uses a lease concept with a controllable time period.
This eases the network installation procedure on the client computer side considerably.
DHCP is defined in [RFC 2131]?.
Microsoft introduced DHCP on their NT server with version 3.5 in late 1994.
[www.dhcp.org]
(1998-11-22)
Source: [foldoc]