System Administration Guide: IP Services

Finding Out More About TCP/IP and the Internet

Information about TCP/IP and the Internet is widely available. If you require specific information that is not covered in this text, you can probably find what you need in the sources cited next.

Computer Books About TCP/IP

Many trade books about TCP/IP and the Internet are available from your local library or computer bookstore. The following two books are considered the classic texts on TCP/IP:

Craig Hunt. TCP/IP Network Administration – This book contains some theory and much practical information for managing a heterogeneous TCP/IP network.
W. Richard Stevens. TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume I – This book is an in-depth explanation of the TCP/IP protocols. This book is ideal for network administrators who require a technical background in TCP/IP and for network programmers.

TCP/IP and Networking Related Web Sites

The Internet has a wealth of web sites and user groups that are devoted to TCP/IP protocols and their administration. Many manufacturers, including Sun Microsystems, offer web-based resources for general TCP/IP information. The following are helpful web resources for TCP/IP information and general system administration information.

Web Site	Description
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) web site	The IETF is the body responsible for the architecture and governance of the Internet. The IETF web site contains information about the various activities of this organization. The site also includes links to the major publications of the IETF.
Sun Microsystem's BigAdmin Portal	BigAdmin provides information for administering Sun computers. The site offers FAQs, resources, discussions, links to documentation, and other materials that pertain to Solaris OS administration, including networking.

Requests for Comments and Internet Drafts

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) working groups publish standards documents that are known as Requests for Comments (RFCs). Standards that are under development are published in Internet Drafts. The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) must approve all RFCs before they are placed in the public domain. Typically RFCs and Internet drafts are directed to developers and other highly technical readers. However, a number of RFCs that deal with TCP/IP topics contain valuable information for system administrators. These RFCs are cited in various places throughout this book.

Generally, For Your Information (FYI) documents appear as a subset of the RFCs. FYIs contain information that does not deal with Internet standards. FYIs contain Internet information of a more general nature. For example, FYI documents include a bibliography that list introductory TCP/IP books and papers. FYI documents provide an exhaustive compendium of Internet-related software tools. Finally, FYI documents include a glossary of Internet and general networking terms.

You will find references to relevant RFCs throughout this guide and other books in the Solaris System Administrator Collection.