In Oracle Solaris 10 and previous releases, the ifconfig command is the customary tool that you use to configure network interfaces. However, the command does not implement persistent configuration. Over time, the ifconfig command has undergone enhancements to add further network administration capabilities. As a result, the command has become more complex and can sometimes be confusing to use.
Another issue with IP interface configuration and administration is the absence of simple tools to administer TCP/IP properties, also referred to as tunables. The ndd command has long been the prescribed customization tool for this purpose, but like the ifconfig command, the ndd command does not implement persistent configuration. Previously, persistent configuration could be simulated for a network scenario by editing the boot scripts. With the introduction of the service management facility (SMF), using these types of workarounds can be risky because of the complexities of managing the various SMF dependencies, particularly in light of upgrades to an Oracle Solaris installation.
Note the following key points about the network administration commands that you use in this release:
The ipadm and dladm commands replace the ifconfig command for configuring network interfaces (datalinks and IP interfaces and addresses). Although the ifconfig command is still functional, it primarily exists for backward compatibility. Also, the previous method of adding information to the /etc/hostname* files is deprecated in Oracle Solaris 11.
You can perform most of the tasks that you previously performed with the ifconfig command by using either the dladm command (for datalink administration) or the ipadm command (for IP administration). Although many ifconfig command options have an ipadm equivalent, there is not an exact one-to-one mapping between the two commands. For comparable equivalents, see Comparing the ifconfig Command to the ipadm Command.
The ipadm and dladm commands also replace the ndd command as a tool for customizing network parameters (tunables). Although the ndd command is still functional in Oracle Solaris 11, the ipadm and dladm commands are preferred.
In Oracle Solaris 10, you configure drivers through driver-specific mechanisms, for example, the ndd command and the driver.conf file. However, in Oracle Solaris 11, you configure common driver features by setting dladm properties, as well as some driver-private features through driver-private properties.