nwamd Network Auto-Configuration Daemon

This networking enhancement is new in the Developer 5/07 release.

The Developer 5/07 release booting process runs the nwamd daemon. This daemon implements an alternate instance of the SMF service, svc:/network/physical, which enables automated network configuration with minimal intervention.

The nwamd daemon monitors the Ethernet port and automatically enables DHCP on the appropriate IP interface. If no cable is plugged into a wired network, the nwamd daemon conducts a wireless scan and sends queries to the user for a WiFi access point to connect to.

Laptop users do not need to spend extensive amounts of time manually configuring the interfaces on their systems. Automatic configuration also aids system administrators, who can reconfigure network addresses with minimal intervention.

The OpenSolaris Network Auto-Magic Phase 0 page and nwamd man page contain further details, including instructions for turning off the nwamd daemon, if preferred. For more information and a link to the nwamd(1M) man page, see http://www.opensolaris.org/os/project/nwam/phase0/.