This manual discusses the IP address and client management techniques implemented in the HP-UX 11i v2 and HP-UX 11i v3 operating systems. With the success of the Internet, an ever-increasing demand for IP addresses and IP address management has presented a challenging task for administrators. In the past, administrators could manage the IP addresses in a single file containing all the host information, that is, name-to-address mappings for every host connected to the network. Now, due to an explosive growth in the networks, assigning and maintaining new IP addresses and resolving domain names to IP addresses have become difficult and cumbersome tasks. An effective solution to this problem is the Domain Name System (DNS), a distributed database that implements the machine name hierarchy for TCP/IP-based networks. DNS defines the rules for name syntax in a hierarchical name space and for delegation of authority over names. A name server is a server program that maps domain names to IP addresses. A set of DNS name servers operating at multiple sites co-operatively solve the domain name to IP address mapping problem and provide other information.Every time you use a domain name, a DNS service translates the name into the corresponding IP address. For example, the domain name www.sample.com translates to 188.135.212.3.The Berkeley Internet Name Domain server (BIND) is a commonly used DNS implementation. The client software, called a name resolver, uses one or more name servers when translating a name.At its current rate of development, the present system, which can support 4 billion addresses, might run out of space in a few years. Researchers claim that switchover to IPv6, which has a huge address space, is the optimal solution to the overcrowded system. To overcome this problem, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to assign IP address dynamically. DHCP provides a framework for passing configuration information to hosts on a TCP/IP network. DHCP, based on the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), adds the capability of automatic allocation of reusable network addresses and additional configuration options. DHCPv6 supports IPv6, the next-generation Internet protocol, and enables DHCP servers to pass configuration parameters using extensions of IPv6 nodes.Client management involves identifying services on the network. To locate services on the network, users of network applications are required to supply the host name or network address of the machine that provides the desired service. The Service Location Protocol (SLP) eliminates the need for users to know the description of the service offered by the network. With SLP, a user only needs to know the description of the service required. Based on this description, SLP returns the desired service.The IP address management implementations in the HP-UX 11i v2 and HP-UX 11i v3 operating systems are as follows:
SLP is the client management implementation in the HP-UX 11i v2 and HP-UX 11i v3 operating systems. A detailed description of the IP address and client management implementations is provided in this manual.
This chapter contains information about the following topics:
Printable version
