3.1.2 Matrix Server Installation Guide

Table Of Contents

Appendix B: Install the SLES9 Operating System and Kernel 55

4. Modify System Files

You may need to modify the following files on each server:

• /etc/hosts file. SuSE Linux places both localhost and the server name

on the 127.0.0.1 entry in the /etc/hosts file:

127.0.0.1 localhost servername

Matrix Server requires that the server name appear on a separate line

with its real IP address, as in the following example. Be sure to move

the server name to its own line in the /etc/hosts file on each server. We

recommend that you specify the fully qualified name.

127.0.0.1 localhost

10.1.1.100 servername

Normal operation of the matrix depends on a reliable network

hostname resolution service. If the hostname lookup facility becomes

unreliable, this can cause reliability problems for the running matrix.

Therefore, you should ensure that your hostname lookup services are

configured to provide highly reliable lookups, particularly for the

hostnames that are critical to matrix operation. These critical

hostnames include the hostnames of all servers in the matrix and the

hostnames of all FibreChannel switches being used with the matrix.

One easy way to ensure reliable hostname lookups is to put all critical

hostnames and their IP addresses in /etc/hosts on each of the servers

(see the hosts(5) man page.) After you have done this, ensure that the

host lookup order in /etc/nsswitch.conf specifies that the hosts file will

be examined first (see the nsswitch.conf(5) man page). Other

mechanisms, apart from /etc/hosts, can also be used, depending on

your site network configuration.