Working With DHCP in Oracle^® Solaris 11.3

DHCP Client and Name Services

Oracle Solaris systems support the following name services: DNS, NIS, and a local file store (/etc/inet/hosts). Each name service requires some configuration before it is usable. The name-service/switch SMF service must also be appropriately configured. See the nsswitch.conf(4) man page for more information.

Before a DHCP client can use a name service, you must configure the system as a client of the name service. By default and unless configured otherwise during system installation, only local files are used.

The following table summarizes issues that are related to each name service and DHCP. The table includes cross-references to documentation that can help you set up clients for each name service.

Table 1  Name Service Client Setup Information for DHCP Client

Name Service Client Setup Information /etc/inet/hosts You must set up the /etc/inet/hosts file for a DHCP client that is to use /etc/inet/hosts for its name service. The DHCP client's host name is added to its own /etc/inet/hosts file by the DHCP tools. However, you must manually add the host name to the /etc/inet/hosts files of other systems in the network. If the DHCP server uses /etc/inet/hosts for name resolution, you must also manually add the client's host name on the system. DNS If the DHCP client receives the DNS domain name through DHCP, then properties of the dns/client SMF service are also automatically configured. See Working With Oracle Solaris 11.3 Directory and Naming Services: DNS and NIS for more information about DNS.