Hostname to IP Address Mapping

Because the system won't always have access to the NIS/NIS+/DNS databases, hostname to IP address mapping, requested by programs such as sendmail and PPP (aspppd), may fail when the system is disconnected, if the local /etc/inet/hosts file does not contain a requested entry. Adding frequently accessed remote host names to the /etc/inet/hosts file will minimize such failures.

Example 5-1 Internet Host Table

#
# Internet host table
#
127.0.0.1	localhost loghost
224.0.0.0	multicast-ip
#
# This machine
#
192.9.10.5	voyager
#
# Frequently accessed hosts
#
192.9.11.113	sparctreker
192.9.11.126	parhelion
192.9.20.30	datehost
192.9.60.81	applserver
192.9.7.81	cosmos mailhost

You may prefer to use admintool to edit the /etc/init/hosts file.

Generally you won't have to put more than a dozen or so map entries in the /etc/inet/hosts file. After initially populating the file with entries that you think you'll need, you can then add entries as you discover them (usually because a command fails, producing a message such as "unknown host zargon").