All supported UNIX systems return up to 35 addresses for a given name. To avoid the name resolution problem, you must configure your system so that at least one usable IP address is among the 35 addresses that are returned.
UNIX systems translate names by using one of three sources: DNS, NIS or NIS+, or a hosts file. The sources that are supported on a given system are specified by a host configuration file.
The IP Manager relies on the host operating system for name resolution. If a system is not configured for DNS, then there is no way to make the IP Manager use DNS other than making the system that the domain is running on use DNS.
The most controllable source is the hosts file, /etc/hosts. All UNIX implementations that VMware Corporation personnel have tested will return up to the first 35 translations in order of appearance in the file.
DNS translations are more difficult to control. First, the translations are often updated automatically. Second, the translations are sorted automatically, based on both internally defined and externally specified criteria.
VMware Corporation personnel have not been able to determine with certainty how translations that are made through NIS or NIS+ are ordered.
