Name Services Overview

Name services store information in a central location that users, systems, and applications must have to communicate across the network. Information is stored in files, maps, or database tables. Without a central name service, each system would have to maintain its own copy of this information. Therefore, centrally locating this data makes it easier to administer large networks. The information handled by a name service includes the following:

• System (host) names and addresses

• Usernames

• Passwords

• Access permissions

The Solaris 9 release provides the name services listed in Table 23.1.

A name service enables centralized management of host files so that systems can be identified by common names instead of by numerical addresses. This simplifies communication because users do not have to remember, and try to enter, cumbersome numerical addresses such as 192.168.0.10.

Addresses are not the only network information that systems need to store. Systems also need to store security information, email addresses, information about their Ethernet interfaces, network services, groups of users allowed to use the network, services offered on the network, and so on. As networks offer more services, the list grows. As a result, each system might need to keep an entire set of files similar to /etc/hosts.

As this information changes, without a name service, administrators must keep it current on every system in the network. In a small network, this is simply tedious, but on a medium or large network, the job becomes not only time-consuming but also nearly unmanageable.

A name service solves this problem. It stores network information on servers and provides the information to any workstation that asks for it.