How Name Services Affect the hosts Database

The NIS, NIS+, and DNS name services maintain host names and addresses on one or more servers. These servers maintain hosts databases containing information for every host and router (if applicable) on the servers' network. Refer to the Solaris Naming Administration Guide for more information about these services.

When Local Files Provide Name Service

On a network using local files for name service, machines running in local files mode consult their individual /etc/inet/hosts files for IP addresses and host names of other machines on the network. Therefore, their /etc/inet/hosts files must contain the:

• Loopback address

• IP address and host name of the local machine (primary network interface)

• IP address and host name of additional network interfaces attached to this machine, if applicable

• IP addresses and host names of all hosts on the local network

• IP addresses and host names of any routers this machine must know about, if applicable

• IP address of any machine your machine wants to refer to by its host name

Example 4-3 shows the /etc/inet/hosts file for machine tenere, a machine that runs in local files mode. Notice that the file contains the IP addresses and host names for every machine on the 192.9.200 network. It also contains the IP address and interface name timbuktu-201, which connects the 192.9.200 network to the 192.9.201 network.

A machine configured as a network client uses the local /etc/inet/hosts file for its loopback address and IP address.

Example 4-3 /etc/inet/hosts File for Machine Running in Local Files Mode