About This Manual

This manual describes how to configure and manage network interfaces and network transports, and solve network problems that might arise on systems running the Tru64^TM UNIX operating system software.

This manual assumes that the operating system software and the appropriate networking subsets are installed.

Audience

This manual is intended for system and network adminstrators responsible for configuring and managing network services. Administrators are expected to have knowledge of operating system concepts, commands, and configuration. It is also helpful to have knowledge of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networking concepts and network configuration; this manual is not a TCP/IP networking tutorial.

New and Changed Features

The Network Administration manual has been reorganized into two volumes: Network Administration: Connections and Network Administration: Services.

This volume, Network Administration: Connections, contains all of the information regarding network connections and transports that previously existed in the Network Administration manual, plus the following new and revised sections:

• A new section on how to configure link aggregation

• A new section on how to use the Network Interface Failure Finder (NIFF) to monitor network interface connectivity

Organization

The Network Administration: Connections manual is divided into several chapters, each of which contains information about configuring a different connection or transport. The manual also includes appendixes that contain supplemental information.

The following list describes the content in more detail:

Related Documents

For more information about Tru64 UNIX networking and communications, see the following books:

• Network Administration: Services

  Provides information about the network services that run over the connections and transports covered in this manual. Explains how to configure and manage the following services and applications:

  • Domain Name System (DNS)

  • Network Information Service (NIS)

  • Network File System (NFS)

  • UNIX-to-UNIX Copy Program (UUCP)

  • Network Time Protocol (NTP)

  • Mail system, including sendmail, the Post Office Protocol (POP) and the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

  • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

• Command and Shell User's Guide

  Introduces users to the basic uses of commands and shells in the operating system.

• JOIN Server Administrator's Guide by Join Systems, Inc.

  Provides more detailed information about implementing the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol in your network. This manual can be accessed by opening the following file with a web browser:

  /usr/doc/join/TOC.html

• Request for Comments (RFC)

  Many sections of this manual refer to RFCs (for example, RFC 1577) for more information about certain networking topics. These documents publicize Internet Standards, new research concepts, and status memos about the Internet. You can access the full range of RFC documents and more information about the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) at the following URL:

  http://www.ietf.org

• Best Practices

  Compaq Tru64 UNIX Best Practices describe some networking concepts and tasks, as well as other topics. You can find these documents on the Tru64 UNIX Publications Home Page at the following URL:

  http://www.tru64unix.compaq.com/docs/

Icons on Tru64 UNIX Printed Manuals

The printed version of the Tru64 UNIX documentation uses letter icons on the spines of the manuals to help specific audiences quickly find the manuals that meet their needs. (You can order the printed documentation from Compaq.) The following list describes this convention:

Some manuals in the documentation help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, the information in some system manuals is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

The Documentation Overview provides information on all of the manuals in the Tru64 UNIX documentation set.

Reader's Comments

Compaq welcomes any comments and suggestions you have on this and other Tru64 UNIX manuals.

You can send your comments in the following ways:

• Fax: 603-884-0120 Attn: UBPG Publications, ZKO3-3/Y32

• Internet electronic mail: readers_comment@zk3.dec.com

  A Reader's Comment form is located on your system in the following location:

  /usr/doc/readers_comment.txt

Please include the following information along with your comments:

• The full title of the manual and the order number. (The order number appears on the title page of printed and PDF versions of a manual.)

• The section numbers and page numbers of the information on which you are commenting.

• The version of Tru64 UNIX that you are using.

• If known, the type of processor that is running the Tru64 UNIX software.

The Tru64 UNIX Publications group cannot respond to system problems or technical support inquiries. Please address technical questions to your local system vendor or to the appropriate Compaq technical support office. Information provided with the software media explains how to send problem reports to Compaq.

Conventions

This document uses the following typographic conventions:

%
$

A percent sign represents the C shell system prompt. A dollar sign represents the system prompt for the Bourne, Korn, and POSIX shells.

#

A number sign represents the superuser prompt.

% cat

Boldface type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.

file

Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.

[ | ]
{ | }

In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.

colored text

In syntax definitions, literal elements are colored green. Variable values, placeholders, and function argument names are colored red. No special colored text is used outside of syntax descriptions.

. . .

In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.

cat(1)

A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, cat(1) indicates that you can find information on the cat command in Section 1 of the reference pages.

[Return]

In an example, a key name enclosed in a box indicates that you press that key.

[Ctrl/x]

This symbol indicates that you hold down the first named key while pressing the key or mouse button that follows the slash. In examples, this key combination is enclosed in a box (for example, [Ctrl/C] ).