Configuring TCP/IP on Solaris - Introduction / Pre-Requisites

Introduction

After planning and optionally getting a network number from InterNIC, it

is time to start the second phase of network administration - setting up the
network. This consists of assembling the hardware which makes up the
physical part of the network, and configuring TCP/IP. This section of
Networking Basics explains how to configure TCP/IP. Before starting the
configuration of TCP/IP, ensure you have the following completed:

• Designed the network topology.

• Obtained a network number from your Internet addressing
authority.
• Assembled the network hardware according to the topology
designed and assured that the hardware is functioning.
• Run any configuration software required by network interfaces and
routers, if applicable.
• Planned the IP addressing scheme for the network, including
subnet addressing if applicable.
• Assigned IP numbers and host names to all machines involved in
the network.
• Determined which name service your network will use: NIS, NIS+,
LDAP, DNS, or local files.
• Selected domain names for your network, if applicable.
• Installed the operating system on at least one machine on the
prospective network.

Determining Host Configuration Mode

As a network administrator, one of your key functions is to configure

TCP/IP to run on all hosts and routers (if applicable). You can set up these
machines to obtain configuration information from two sources:

• Files on the local machine

• Files located on other machines on the network

Configuration information will include:

• Host name of the machine

• IP address of the machine
• Domain name to which the machine belongs to
• Default router
• Netmask in use on the machine's network
 A machine that obtains TCP/IP configuration information from local files
is said to be operating in local files mode. A machine that obtains TCP/IP
configuration information from a remote machine is said to be operating in
network client mode.

Machines That Should Run in Local Files Mode

For a machine to run in local files mode, it must have local copies of the
TCP/IP configuration files. These files are described in the "TCP/IP
Configuration Files" document. The machine should have its own disk,
though this is not strictly necessary.

Most servers should run in local file mode. This requirement includes:

• Network configuration servers

• NFS Servers
• Name servers supplying NIS, NIS+, LDAP, or DNS services
• Mail servers
• Routers

Machines that exclusively function as print servers do not need to run in

local files mode. Whether individual hosts should run in local files mode
depends on teh size of your network.

If you are running a very small network, the amount of work involved in
maintaining these files on individual hosts is management. If you network
serves hundreds of hosts, the taks becomes difficult, even with the
network divided into a number of administrative subdomains. Thus, for
large networks, using local files mode is usually less efficient. On the
other hand, because routers and servers must be self-sufficient, they
should be configured in local files mode.

Network Configuration Servers

Network configuration servers are the machines that supply the TCP/IP
configuration information to hosts configured in network client mode.
These server support three booting protocols:

• RARP - Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) maps

Ethernet addresses (48 bits) to IP addresses (32 bits), the reverse
ARP. When you run RARP on a network configuration server, this
enables hosts running in network client mode to obtain their IP
addresses and TCP/IP configuration files from the server. The
in.rarpd deamon enables RARP services.
• TFTP - Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is an application that
transfers files between remote machines. The in.tftpd deamon
 carries out TFTP services, enabling file transfer between network
configuration servers and their network clients.
• bootparams - The bootparams protocol supplies parameters for
booting that are required by diskless clients. The rpc.bootparamd
deamon carries out these services.

Network configuration servers can also function as NFS file servers.

If you are going to configure any hosts as network clients, then you must
also configure at least one machine on your network as a network
configuration server. If your network is subneted, then you must have at
least one network configuration server for each subnet with network
clients.

Machines That Are Network Clients

Any host that gets its configuration information from a network

configuration server is said to be "operating" in network client mode.
Machines configured as network clients do not require local copies of the
TCP/IP configuation files.

Network client mode greatly simplifies administration of large networks.

It minimizes the number of configuation tasks that must be performed on
individual hosts and assures that all machines on the network adhere to the
same configuration standards.

You can configure network client mode on all types of computers, from
fully standalone systems to diskless and dataless machines. Although it is
possible to configure routers and servers in network client mode, local
files mode is a better choice for these machines. Routers and servers
should be as self-sufficient as possible.