Resolv.conf search parameter limit

lisaac29 at my-deja.com lisaac29 at my-deja.com
Thu Nov 4 02:08:21 UTC 1999


I wanted to use shortnames because of my network monitoring
applications. I have applications which monitor many devices on customer
networks, and I prefer to use the shortnames due to video display
limitations in the network monitoring applications. The text associated
with the hostnames in a network view with 100 devices using FQDNs can be
very small to read, even with large monitors. Human beings are generally
lazy, and I have personnel who wish not to enter the FQDN for customer
devices. I resolved the duplicate name issue by using the rule "first
defined then first served." I would use the FQDN for a device if a
shortname existed for another customer. I appreciate the reply....

LeRoy


In article <381F5E92.A7FF8240 at daimlerchrysler.com>,
  Kevin Darcy <kcd at daimlerchrysler.com> wrote:
> Last time I checked, there was a limit of 6 search components. I doubt
that
> this would be particularly platform-specific, since the resolvers
shipping
> from major Unix vendors generally derive from the same codebase.
>
> My recommendation: use FQDN's for everything. Nowadays it's relatively
rare
> for users to have to type out a whole hostname anyway, so why waste
> DNS resources *guessing* at domain names, which is essentially what
> searchlists implement? With 10 searchlist elements, assuming even
> distribution of names throughout the domains, you're going to waste an
> average of 4.5 queries before you get the real answer. Is it really
worth
> spending that much more in DNS resources for a mere shortname
*preference*?
> And what about collisions, i..e. the same shortname in multiple
domains?
> How do you deal with that? Some here at DaimlerChrysler have already
been
> down the searchlist path and learned their lesson the hard way. Don't
make
> the same mistake. Just say no to searchlists.
>
> - Kevin
>
> lisaac29 at my-deja.com wrote:
>
> > Is there a limit to the number of domain names listed in the search
> > parameter for the resolv.conf file? I have a network monitoring
> > application monitoring different customer environments,  and I wish
to
> > use the ordinary name instead of the fully qualified domain name
(FQDN).
> > I have 10 different customer second level domains, and I will add
all 10
> > too the search parameter. I have not found any documentation which
> > identifies a limit to the number of domains listed on the search
> > parameter in the resolv.conf file. The network monitoring
applications
> > reside on Linux, Solaris, and HPUX. I appreciate any input!
> >
> > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > Before you buy.
>
>


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.


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