How Name Services Affect Network Databases

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

• NIS+ uses databases called NIS+ tables

• NIS uses databases called NIS maps

• DNS uses records with host information

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Note -

DNS boot and data files do not correspond directly to the network databases.

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Figure 4-2 shows the forms of the hosts database used by these name services:

Figure 4-2 Forms of the hosts Database Used by 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
hosts	/etc/inet/hosts	hosts.ord_dir	hosts.byaddr hosts.byname
netmasks	/etc/inet/netmasks	netmasks.ord_dir	netmasks.byaddr
ethers	/etc/ethers	ethers.ord_dir	ethers.byname ethers.byaddr
bootparams	/etc/bootparams	bootparams.ord_dir	bootparams
protocols	/etc/inet/protocols	protocols.ord_dir	protocols.byname protocols.bynumber
services	/etc/inet/services	services.ord_dir	services.byname
networks	/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+.