Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!agate!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!eagle!galaxy!hubler
From: hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov (Dale Hubler)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix
Subject: Re: FAQ about AIX
Keywords: AIX dump bind rlmd
Message-ID: <1991Apr9.114656.22105@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 9 Apr 91 11:46:56 GMT
References: <2897@speedy.mcnc.org>
Sender: news@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov
Reply-To: hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov (Dale Hubler)
Distribution: na
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Lines: 26

In article <2897@speedy.mcnc.org> kerm@mcnc.org (Cary E. Burnette) writes:
>2. If you are running name server can you make the network services
>   check the /etc/hosts file first. My RS/6000 LAN has an unreliable
>   link to its nameserver. When this link is down I still want to be able
>   to communicate within the RS/6000 LAN. Know when the link is down I 
>   have to wait a long time for telnet to time-out and try the /etc/hosts
>   file. Most of the traffic is among the RS/6000's and since it is small 
>   I do not want to set up one as a nameserver. But on the few occasions
>   that I do want to go out on the internet I want to have the name server
>   available.

We are in the same situation.  The IBM's seem to have a hard time recovering
from the loss of the nameserver.  We are planning to set up a cacheing 
name server for our group.  That will cache the information for routing
that we are using most the time.  The few times it needs more info it can
go to the primary nameserver.  The rest of the machines point to the local
caching nameserver, keeping the traffic local.  When the nameserver or the
communications to it are down, our group can still operate without delays.
I wish they would look at their own host table first prior to checking 
the nameserver.

--
Dale A. Hubler  --  Sverdrup Technology  --  (216) 977-7014     
                                             hubler@galaxy.lerc.nasa.gov
Try Eggo brand Common Sense Oat Bran frozen waffles, it's the health
food of the 90's