Using NIS in conjunction with DNS

Hostname and address lookups may be configured in one of the following ways:

• through NIS exclusively (optional)

• through the Domain Name Service (DNS) if NIS is not running (default)

• through NIS initially, followed by DNS if NIS fails to resolve the mapping (default)

You can dictate whether NIS or DNS is used to perform name/address resolution by editing the directory lookup libraries field in the network configuration database /etc/netconfig (for more information, see the netconfig(4bnu) manual page).

To configure host name and address lookups, perform the following procedure:

1. Log in as NIS administrator and access /etc/netconfig using your preferred text editor.

   To use NIS exclusively, set the directory lookup libraries field to ``/usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so''.

   To use DNS if NIS is not running, set the directory lookup libraries field to ``/usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so''.

   To use NIS initially, followed by DNS if NIS fails, set the directory lookup libraries field to ``/usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so''.

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   NOTE: Only the /etc/netconfig entries for the services tcp, udp, rawip and icmp should reference the /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so library.

   Also note that the entries for these services, in addition to referencing the /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so library, may also reference the /usr/lib/tcpip.so library in order to search the /etc/hosts file.

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2. Make sure all machines (clients and servers) have an /etc/resolv.conf file that points to a valid name server (see ``The Client Manager interface'' for instructions on how to edit this file).

   tcp     tpi_cots_ord    v       inet    tcp     /dev/tcp \
        /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/tcpip.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so
   udp     tpi_clts        v       inet    udp     /dev/udp  \
        /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/tcpip.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so
   icmp    tpi_raw -       inet    icmp    /dev/icmp \
        /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/tcpip.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so
   rawip   tpi_raw -       inet    -       /dev/rawip \
        /usr/lib/tcpip_nis.so,/usr/lib/tcpip.so,/usr/lib/resolv.so