/etc/nsswitch.conf File

The /etc/nsswitch.conf file on each system specifies the policy for name service lookups (where data is read from) on that system.

You must make sure that the name service accessed from the console, which you specify through the console Toolbox Editor, appears in the search path of the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. If the specified name service does not appear there, the tools might behave in unexpected ways, resulting in errors or warnings.

When you use the Solaris management tools in a name service environment, you might impact many users with a single operation. For example, if you delete a user in the NIS name service, that user is deleted on all systems that are using NIS.

If different systems in your network have different /etc/nsswitch.conf configurations, unexpected results might occur. So, all systems to be managed with the Solaris management tools should have a consistent name service configuration.