Changes to the nsswitch.conf File

IPv6 support has been added to the NIS, LDAP, and DNS name services. Consequently, the nsswitch.conf file has been modified to support IPv6 lookups.

The following diagram shows the new relationship between the nsswitch.conf file and the new name services databases for applications that use the gethostbyname and getipnodebyname commands. Items in italics are new. The gethostbyname command checks only for IPv4 addresses that are stored in /etc/inet/hosts. If the lookup fails, then the command checks the database that is specified in the hosts entry in the nsswitch.conf file.

Figure 10–8 Relationship Between nsswitch.conf and Name Services

For more information on name services, see System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (DNS, NIS, and LDAP).