running Active directory and DHCP in Azure

Question

Hi Team,

 

We are running Active directory and DHCP in on-premises environment

 

DHCP is handling leases to security devices

 

Now we are in a situation to migrate the environment to azure cloud.

 

Now my question is it recommended to run DHCP in azure or how we can handle this

Answer 1

Hi @Pasupathi M

I understand that you're looking to migrate your Active Directory and DHCP environment to Azure. When it comes to running a DHCP server in Azure, it's important to know that Azure's networking design presents some challenges for traditional DHCP setups, especially regarding broadcast packets.

Here's what you might consider:

1. It's generally recommended to use DHCP Relay agents when working in Azure. The Azure environment doesn’t support direct DHCP server communications via broadcasts, which means that clients in an Azure Virtual Network (VNet) cannot communicate with a DHCP server directly. Instead, you'll want to deploy a DHCP server on a virtual machine (VM) in Azure and configure it to work with a relay agent.
2. If you're looking for a resilient setup, you can deploy multiple VMs running the DHCP server and configure them in a failover relationship. This ensures that even if one server goes down, the other can handle IP address leasing.
3. You can follow the documentation on how to set up a DHCP server in Azure. Key steps include configuring the VM's network settings, installing the DHCP role, and managing IP address assignments through the Azure portal.
4. Since your existing DHCP setup is handling leases to security devices, ensure that any newly configured Azure-based DHCP setup is secure and can accurately replicate the lease assignment logic you have in place currently.

Here are some resources you can look at for detailed instructions:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-network/how-to-dhcp-azure?wt.mc_id=knowledgesearch_inproduct_azure-cxp-community-insider

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/azuremigration/best-method-for-on-prem-dhcp-when-migrating-all-servers-to-azure/2248166

Kindly let us know if the above helps or you need further assistance on this issue.

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