Configuring Domain Name Files
Create or Modify the Hosts File
Create or Modify the Hosts File
The host name data base file, (HOSTS.NET.SYS), associates internet addresses with official host names and aliases. This allows a user to refer to a host by a symbolic name instead of an internet address.
When you have configured the name server, this file serves only as a backup when the server is not running. In this circumstance, it is a common practice that HOSTS.NET.SYS contains a few addresses of machines on the local network.
To create the hosts file, perform the following steps:
Step 1. Copy the sample file, HOSTSAMP.NET.SYS, to HOSTS.NET.SYS. Step 2. Modify HOSTS.NET.SYS using any ASCII editor so that it contains
| information about the nodes on your network. |
| To modify an already existing HOSTS.NET.SYS file, simply use your |
| editor to update and save the existing file. |
| Enter a single line for each host, including the following information: |
| [internet address] [local host name] [aliases] |
| A line cannot start with a space. Items are separated by any number of |
| blanks and/or tab characters. A pound sign (#) indicates the beginning |
| of a comment. |
| Network addresses are specified in dot format, with leading zeros |
| omitted and a period between each grouping. (See example addresses in |
| |
| Host names can contain any printable character other than a white |
| space, newline, or comment character. |
| It is very important that you omit the leading zeros in the network |
NOTE | |
| addresses. If you enter the leading zeros here, the domain name |
| resolver will interpret the numbers as octal numbers. |
168 | Chapter 12 |