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

 

Figure 12-2.)

 

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.

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Chapter 12