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

The Solstice AutoClient software allows you to select which name service databases will be updated (written to) when you make modifications with Host Manager. 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 Host Manager is consistent with the specifications in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. If the selections are not consistent, Host Manager 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 Host Manager is started. The administrator must decide where the update is to take place.

When using Host Manager, 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 AutoClient software is used to administer the primary name service specified in the standard /etc/nsswitch.conf file.

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