Have you ever had the need to transfer DHCP server configuration and scope data between various combinations of servers (e.g., Windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2000, Win2K to Win2K, Win2K to NT 4.0)?

The "standard" procedures to do this, if you’d like to call them that, are somewhat tedious and complex, and they differ slightly when going from platform to platform.

A much better method for transferring DHCP server configurations between machines is using the fairly new and unknown Microsoft DHCP Export Import utility (DhcpExim), which works with any combination of Win2K and NT 4.0 systems.

You will find using DhcpExim is a dream, especially when you contrast it with the alternative procedures for backing up and restoring or migrating DHCP configurations between servers.

The export file created will contain the general DHCP server configuration information and the scopes you select for export. Having the scope selection possibility upon export can be an especially welcome feature.

To export a server’s DHCP configuration:

1. Run the utility (dhcpexim.exe).
2. Select the Export configuration of the local service to a file option.
3. Name the saved configuration file.
4. Select the scopes you want to export and click Export.

1. Run the utility (dhcpexim.exe).
2. Select the utility’s Import configuration to the local service from a file option.
3. Locate the file that contains the saved configuration.

When using this utility, don’t forget to check out any known issues.