The /etc/nsswitch.conf File and the Solstice AdminSuite Product

The Solstice AdminSuite software allows you to select which name service databases will be updated (written to) when you make modifications with one of the tools. However, the /etc/nsswitch.conf file on each system specifies the policy for name service lookups (where data will be read from) on that system.

It is up to the user to make sure that the name service they select from one of the tools is consistent with the specifications in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. If the selections are not consistent, the tools may behave in unexpected ways, resulting in errors or warnings. See "Selecting a Name Service Environment" for an example of the window from which you select a name service.

The /etc/nsswitch.conf file has no effect on how the system configuration files get updated. In the /etc/nsswitch.conf file, more than one source can be specified for the databases, and complex rules can be used to specify how a lookup can be performed from multiple sources. There is no defined syntax for using the rules in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file to perform updates.

Because of this, updates are controlled by the name service selection that is made when the tools are started. The administrator must decide where the update is to take place.

When using the tools, administrative operations can take place on multiple systems with a single operation. It is possible that each of these systems could have a different /etc/nsswitch.conf configuration. This situation can make it very difficult to administer your network. It is recommended that all of the systems have a consistent set of /etc/nsswitch.conf files and that the Solstice AdminSuite software is used to administer the primary name service specified in the standard /etc/nsswitch.conf file.

With this release of the Solstice AdminSuite product, you can define a more complex update policy for the tools by using the admtblloc command. For more information on this command, refer to the admtblloc(1M) man page and see "The admtblloc Command".