Name Service

Solstice NFS Client uses a name service, such as NIS or NIS+, to locate other machines on the network. Some applications also use either DNS or a local HOSTS file to resolve names and IP addresses.

If your site uses either NIS or NIS+ as a name service, you can configure the service during installation. Enter the domain name and the IP address of the NIS or NIS+ name server. The domain name is case-sensitive; be sure to enter it correctly. The client cannot broadcast for a NIS or NIS+ server.

After installation, you can use the Solstice NIS/NIS+ Services Configuration page to add or change your name service and set up a search order. Access the NIS/NIS+ page from the Services tab in the Network dialog box.

NIS

NIS is Sun's network information service. It is a name service that provides access to a set of network databases that contain information such as server names, IP addresses, and host IDs (Ethernet addresses).

NIS+

NIS+ is a successor to NIS. It is a hierarchical name service that provides read/write access to a set of distributed network databases. NIS+ provides scalability, which makes it suitable for very large networks. It also provides authentication services, which provide security and improved updating capability.

Windows Default

The Microsoft network uses the domain name service (DNS) or a local file named HOSTS as a name service. If you enable DNS, it will be used as the default name service. If DNS is not enabled, the HOSTS file becomes the default.

On Windows 95, a sample HOSTS file is in the C:\WINDOWS directory, called HOSTS.SAM.

On Windows NT, a sample HOSTS file has the path name C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC\HOSTS. If you edit this file using a text editor, save it without a .TXT or .DOC extension.