NAME

htable − convert NIC standard format host tables

USAGE

/etc/htable [ -c connected-nets ] [ -l local-nets ] file

DESCRIPTION

Htable is used to convert host files from the format specified by Internet RFC 810 to the format used by the network library routines.  Three files are created in the current directory as a result of running htable: hosts, networks, and gateways. The hosts file is used by the gethostent(3N) routines to map host names to addresses.  The networks file is used by the getnetent(3N) routines to map network names to numbers.  The gateways file is used by the routing daemon to identify “passive” Internet gateways; see routed(8C) for an explanation. 

If any of the files localhosts, localnetworks, or localgateways are present in the current directory, the file’s contents are added to the beginning of the appropriate htable output file, without interpretation.  This feature allows sites to maintain local aliases and entries which are not normally present in the master database. 

OPTIONS

The following options are allowed. 

-c connected-nets The argument is a comma-separated list of networks to which this host is directly connected.  In this list, networks may be indicated by name or by internet-standard dot notation, as shown here.  /etc/htable -c arpanet,128.32,local-ether Htable only includes gateways that are directly connected to one of the specified networks or can be reached from another gateway on a connected net. 

-l local-nets The argument is a comma-separated list of networks to be treated as “local”.  List format rules are the same as for -c.  Entries for these networks will be taken from the localhosts file.  This allows localhosts to override any entries in the input file. 

Htable is used in conjunction with the gettable(8C) program, which retrieves the NIC database from a host. 

NOTE TO DOMAIN/IX USERS

You cannot connect to a foreign network without the DOMAIN COM-ETHERNET product.  The tables used in etc must agree with the tables used by COM-ETHERNET. 

We recommend using one NIC host table.  Use gettable(8C) to place it in the file /sys/tcp/hostmap/hosts.txt. Then edit the file /sys/tcp/hostmap/local.txt to reflect local conditions.  Then run makehost.sh to create host and gateway maps for the COM-ETHERNET product.  Makehost.sh executes htable to create the /etc/hosts, /etc/gateways, and /etc/networks files.  (We recommend not using the files localhosts, localnetworks, or localgateways, since all the necessary information is included in /sys/tcp/hostmap/local.txt.)

The version of DOMAIN TCP/IP available at SR9.5 includes a slightly different version of htable that supports the new subnet facility.  There are no changes in the way the command appears to the user. 

RELATED INFORMATION

gettable(8C) Managing TCP/IP-Based Communications Products