Your network database takes a form that depends on the type of name service you select for your network. For example, the hosts database contains, at minimum, the host name and IP address of the local machine and any network interfaces directly connected to the local machine. However, the hosts database could contain other IP addresses and host names, depending on the type of name service on your network.
The network databases are used as follows:
Networks that use local files for their name service rely on files in the /etc/inet and /etc directories
DNS boot and data files do not correspond directly to the network databases.
Figure 4-2 shows the forms of the hosts database used by these name services:
Table 4-1 lists the network databases and how they are used by local files, NIS+, and NIS.
Table 4-1 Network Databases and Corresponding Name Service Files
Network Database |
Local Files |
NIS+ Tables |
NIS Maps |
---|---|---|---|
/etc/inet/hosts |
hosts.ord_dir |
hosts.byaddr hosts.byname |
|
/etc/inet/netmasks |
netmasks.ord_dir |
netmasks.byaddr |
|
/etc/ethers |
ethers.ord_dir |
ethers.byname ethers.byaddr |
|
/etc/bootparams |
bootparams.ord_dir |
bootparams |
|
/etc/inet/protocols |
protocols.ord_dir |
protocols.byname protocols.bynumber |
|
/etc/inet/services |
services.ord_dir |
services.byname |
|
/etc/inet/networks |
networks.ord_dir |
networks.byaddr networks.byname |
This book discusses network databases as viewed by networks using local files for name services. Information regarding the hosts database is in "hosts Database"; information regarding the netmasks database is in "netmasks Database". Refer to Solaris Naming Administration Guide for information on network databases correspondences in NIS, DNS, and NIS+.