Comparing the ifconfig Command to the ipadm Command - Transitioning From Oracle® Solaris 10 to Oracle Solaris 11.2

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Comparing the `ifconfig` Command to the `ipadm` Command

Compared to the ifconfig command, the ipadm command provides the following advantages:

Parameter interactions with interfaces and addresses that are clearly represented.
Configuration commands that manage both the current system state, as well as keep a persistent record of that state synchronized for automatic use upon reboot.
A committed, parsable output format with many subcommands that exist for easy use by shell scripts.
User-defined IP address object names that provide a means for management scripts to easily reference individual addresses, including IP addresses that are defined through DHCP or IPv6 address autoconfiguration.

The following table compares selected ifconfig command options to ipadm command equivalent. The tables does not provide a comprehensive list of all of the available options. See ipadm (1M) .

Table 7-1 ifconfig and ipadm Command Comparison

Task Description	`ifconfig` Command	`ipadm` Command
List all interfaces and their addresses.	`ifconfig` `–a`	`ipadm`
Create or delete an IP interface.	`plumb` `unplumb`	`ipadm create-ip` `ipadm delete-ip`
Create or delete a static IP address on an interface.	[`address`[/`prefix-length`] [`dest-address`]] [`addif` `address`[/`prefix-length`]] [`removeif` `address`[/`prefix-length`]][`netmask` `mask`][`destination` `dest-address`]	`ipadm create-addr` `–a` `address` `ipadm delete-addr`
Create or delete a DHCP address on an interface.	{`auto-dhcp`\|`dhcp`} [`wait` `seconds`] `start` \| `release`	`ipadm create-addr -T dhcp` [`–w` `seconds` ] `ipadm delete-addr` `–r`
Extend a DHCP lease.	{`auto-dhcp` \| `dhcp`} `extend`	`ipadm refresh-addr`
Obtain configuration parameters from DHCP without obtaining a lease.	{`auto-dhcp` \| `dhcp`} `inform`	`ipadm refresh-addr –i`
Check if DHCP is in use on an interface.	{`auto-dhcp` \| `dhcp`} `ping`	`ipadm show-addr` `interface`
Display DHCP status.	{`auto-dhcp` \| `dhcp`} `status`	`netstat -D`
Create or delete an auto-configured IPv6 address on an existing interface	`inet6 plumb up` `unplumb`	`ipadm create-addr` `–T` `addrconf` `ipadm delete-addr`
View/set address properties.	[`deprecated` \| `–deprecated`] [`preferred` \| `–preferred`] [`private` \| `–private`] [`zone` `zonename` \| `–zones` \| `–all-zones`][`xmit` \| `–xmit`]	`ipadm show-addrprop` `ipadm set-addrprop`
Bring an address up.	`up`	`ipadm up-addr` Implicit in `create-addr` Required for explicit `down-addr`
Take an address down.	`down`	`ipadm down-addr`
View/set interface properties.	[`metric` `n`] [`mtu` `n`] [`nud` \| `–nud`] [`arp` \| `–arp`] [`usesrc` [`name` \| `none`] [`router` \| `router`]	`ipadm show-ifprop` `ipadm set-ifprop`
Create/delete an IPMP group.	`plumb ipmp group` [`name` \| `""`] `unplumb`	`ipadm create-ipmp` `ipadm delete-ipmp`
Add an interface to an IPMP group.	group [ `name` ]	`ipadm add-ipmp` `–i` `ifname`
Turn on/off standby flag.	`standby` \| `–standby`	`ipadm set-ifprop -p standby=on` `ipadm set-ifprop -p standby=off`
Configure an IP tunnel link.	[`tdsttunnel-dest-addr`] [`tsrc` `tunnel-srcs-addr`] [`encaplimit` `n`\| `–encaplimit`] [`thoplimitn`]	`dladm` *`-iptun` set of commands.
View/set the hardware address of a link.	[`ether` [`address` ]]	`dladm show-linkprop` `–p` `mac-address` `dladm set-linkprop` `–p` `mac-address=addr`
View/set modules to be autopushed on a link.	[`modlist`] [`modinsert` `mod_name@pos`] [`modremove` `mod_name@pos`]	`dladm show-linkprop` `–p` `autopush` `dladm set-linkprop` `–p` `autopush=modlist`
Set subnet, netmask, broadcast domain.	`subnet` `subnet-address`] [`broadcast` `broadcast-address`]	`ipadm set-addrprop` `–p` `prefixlen=len`
Set IPsec policy for a tunnel link.	[`auth_algs` `authentication-algorithm`] [`encr_algs` `encryption-algorithm`] [`encr_auth_algs` `encryption- authentication-algorithm`]	`ipsecconf` See `ipsecconf` (1M)
Miscellaneous networking commands that have no `ipadm` command equivalent.	`[auth_revarp`] [ `index` `if-index`] [ `token` `address`/`prefix-length`] DHCP 'drop' option E	Not applicable