Installing and Administering LAN/9000 Software

54 Chapter3
Manually Installing and Configuring LAN/9000
Creating the /etc/hosts File
Creating the /etc/hosts File
You mustedit the /etc/hosts file to add an IP address and hostname for
the LAN card that you are installing.
NOTE If you are using a naming service (DNS or NIS), you will need to modify
the /etc/hosts file to add the IP address and host name to the
appropriate databases on the name server system. Refer to Installing
and Administering Internet Services and Installing and Administering
NFS Services for more information on naming services.
The /etc/hosts file associates IP host addresses with mnemonic host
names and alias names. It contains the names of other nodes in the
network with which your system can communicate. LAN/9000
diagnostics netstat and ping use /etc/hosts. If you install Internet
Services/9000 or NFS/9000, those products also use the /etc/hosts file.
You can create an /etc/hosts file three ways:
• From scratch, entering the known nodes in the format shown below.
• By copying the file from another node.
• By copying the official host database maintained at the Network
Information Control Center (NIC) for ARPA Internet networks, if you
are installing Internet Services/9000. (Refer to “Military Standards
and Request for Comments Documents” in the “Related Information”
section for more information on how to contact the NIC.)
If you copy an /etc/hosts file from another host, you may need to bring
it up-to-date by adding unofficial aliases or unknown hosts, including
your own host.
Network and System Names
A system is known by several names, each with its own purpose:
System name Used for cluster configuration and UUCP
communication.
Host name and aliases Used for most network communication. This