netconfig(4) netconfig(4)
NAME
netconfig - network configuration database
SYNOPSIS
#include <netconfig.h>
DESCRIPTION
The network configuration database, /etc/netconfig, is a
system file used to store information about networks connected
to the system and available for use. The netconfig database
and the routines that access it [see getnetconfig(3N)] are
part of the UNIX UnixWare Network Selection component. The
Network Selection component also includes the environment
variable NETPATH and a group of routines that access the
netconfig database using NETPATH components as links to the
netconfig entries. NETPATH is described in sh(1); the NETPATH
access routines are discussed in getnetpath(3N).
Files
/etc/netconfig
/usr/include/netconfig.h
USAGE
netconfig contains an entry for each network available on the
system. Entries are separated by newlines. Fields are
separated by whitespace and occur in the order in which they
are described below. Whitespace can be embedded as ``\blank''
or ``\tab.'' Backslashes may be embedded as ``\\''. Lines
that begin with a sharp sign (#) in column 1 are treated as
comments.
netconfig Database Fields
Each field in the network configuration database corresponds
to an element in the struct netconfig structure. struct
netconfig and the identifiers described on this manual page
are defined in /usr/include/netconfig.h.
network ID
A string used to uniquely identify a network. network
ID consists of non-null characters, and has a length of
at least 1. No maximum length is specified. This
namespace is locally significant and the local system
administrator is the naming authority. All network IDs
on a system must be unique.
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netconfig(4) netconfig(4)
semantics
The semantics field is a string identifying the
``semantics'' of the network, that is, the set of
services it supports, by identifying the service
interface it provides. The semantics field is
mandatory. The following semantics are recognized.
tpi_clts Transport Provider Interface,
connectionless
tpi_cots Transport Provider Interface, connection
oriented
tpi_cots_ord Transport Provider Interface, connection
oriented, supports orderly release.
tpi_raw Transport Provider Interface, raw
flag The flag field records certain two-valued (``true'' and
``false'') attributes of networks. flag is a string
composed of a combination of characters, each of which
indicates the value of the corresponding attribute. If
the character is present, the attribute is ``true.'' If
the character is absent, the attribute is ``false.''
``-'' indicates that none of the attributes is present.
Two characters are currently recognized:
v Visible (``default'') network. Used when the
environment variable NETPATH is unset.
b Enable RPC broadcast. The network will accept
broadcasts. If this flag is not set, then
broadcasts will not be allowed on the network.
The flag must be set for UDP networks, otherwise
some applications which need to broadcast will
fail. Note that connection oriented transports do
not support broadcasts.
protocol family
The protocol family and protocol name fields are
provided for protocol-specific applications.
The protocol family field contains a string that
identifies a protocol family. The protocol family
identifier follows the same rules as those for network
IDs, that is, the string consists of non-null
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netconfig(4) netconfig(4)
characters; it has a length of at least 1; and there is
no maximum length specified. A ``-'' in the protocol
family field indicates that no protocol family
identifier applies, that is, the network is
experimental. The following are examples:
loopback Loopback (local to host).
inet Internetwork: UDP, TCP, and so on
implink ARPANET imp addresses
pup PUP protocols: for example, BSP
chaos MIT CHAOS protocols
ns XEROX NS protocols
nbs NBS protocols
ecma European Computer Manufacturers
Association
datakit DATAKIT protocols
ccitt CCITT protocols, X.25, and so on
sna IBM SNA
decnet DECNET
dli Direct data link interface
lat LAT
hylink NSC Hyperchannel
appletalk Apple Talk
nit Network Interface Tap
ieee802 IEEE 802.2; also ISO 8802
osi Umbrella for all families used by OSI
(for example, protosw lookup)
x25 CCITT X.25 in particular
osinet AFI = 47, IDI = 4
gosip U.S. Government OSI
protocol name
The protocol name field contains a string that
identifies a protocol. The protocol name identifier
follows the same rules as those for network IDs, that
is, the string consists of non-NULL characters; it has a
length of at least 1; and there is no maximum length
specified. The following protocol names are recognized.
A ``-'' indicates that none of the names listed applies.
tcp Transmission Control Protocol
udp User Datagram Protocol
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netconfig(4) netconfig(4)
icmp Internet Control Message Protocol
network device
The network device is the full pathname of the device
used to connect to the transport provider. Typically,
this device will be in the /dev directory. The network
device must be specified.
directory lookup libraries
The directory lookup libraries support a ``directory
service'' (a name-to-address mapping service) for the
network. This service is implemented by the UNIX
UnixWare Name-to-Address Mapping feature. If a network
is not provided with such a library, the netdir feature
will not work. A ``-'' in this field indicates the
absence of any lookup libraries, in which case name-to-
address mapping for the network is non-functional. The
directory lookup library field consists of a comma-
separated list of full pathnames to dynamically linked
libraries. Commas may be embedded as ``\,''; backslashs
as ``\\''.
netconfig Structure Members
The struct netconfig structure includes the following members
corresponding to the fields in the netconfig database entries:
char * nc_netid Network ID, including NULL
terminator
unsigned long nc_semantics Semantics
unsigned long nc_flag Flags
char * nc_protofmly Protocol family
char * nc_proto Protocol name
char * nc_device Full pathname of the network
device
unsigned long nc_nlookups Number of directory lookup
libraries
char ** nc_lookups Full pathnames of the
directory lookup libraries
themselves
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netconfig(4) netconfig(4)
unsigned long nc_unused[9] Reserved for future expansion
(not advertised to user
level)
The nc_semantics field takes the following values,
corresponding to the semantics identified above:
NC_TPI_CLTS
NC_TPI_COTS
NC_TPI_COTS_ORD
NC_TPI_RAW
The nc_flag field is a bitfield. The following bit,
corresponding to the attribute identified above, is currently
recognized. NC_NOFLAG indicates the absence of any
attributes.
NC_VISIBLE
REFERENCES
getnetconfig(3N), getnetpath(3N), ICMP(7), IP(7),
netconfig(4), netdir(3N)
Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. Page 5