resolving server names

[Shivkumar]

i know that a server name is resolved by either /etc/hosts or /etc/resolv.conf but once i observed that server name was resolved without entries in either of them ?

how is it possible ?

[RAC_1 · Accepted solution]

The resoltion of different things (hosts, services, alises, groups etc) is controlled by what you define in /etc/nsswitch.conf file. If the host address is defined to be resolved in certain order (for example say /etc/hosts file first and then dns), then the entry in /etc/nsswitch.conf (for hosts directive) will look as follows.

hosts : files dns

read man pages for nsswitch.conf and resolver, resolv.conf for details.
/etc/resolv.conf defines dns look policies and settings.

[Arunvijai_4]

Hi Shiv,

This happens because of you have configured /etc/nsswitch.conf to get host names. Check any of these files in your 11i,

1) nsswitch.compat
2) nsswitch.files
3) nsswitch.hp_defaults
4) nsswitch.nis
5) nsswitch.nisplus

-Arun

[Devender Khatana]

Hi,

The entry for hostname need not to be metioned in /etc/resolv.conf, it only contains the entry for the source which can be used to resolv the hostname or other parameters like passwd, group, services, networks etc.

The name defined in /etc/nsswitch.conf will actually refer to the database which should be contacted for resolving the name. It can be NIS,NIS+,DNS etc.

HTH,
Devender

[Senthil Prabu.S_1]

Hi Shiv,

Server name was resolved because you might have configured /etc/nsswitch.conf to get host names.

Is your server is a NIS client.


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Prabu.S