JP3822013B2 - Host file management method and computer-readable medium - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to efficient management of HOSTS files in a client = server type LAN adopting TCP / IP as a communication protocol.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a client = server type LAN (Local Area Network), a HOSTS file is used to perform TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) communication using a computer name consisting of a character string. This HOSTS file contains a computer name (host name) that is uniquely set for each computer so that it can be used only within the LAN, and a (private) IP address that identifies the computer in the LAN on the IP (Internet Protocol) Are listed.
[0003]
All servers and clients in the LAN have the same HOSTS file, and each computer in the LAN can independently convert the host name and IP address. For example, when a network user instructs a computer to exchange data by specifying the host name of a certain computer in the LAN, the computer uses the IP address corresponding to the destination host name from the stored HOSTS file. The address is detected and read out, and data is exchanged with the communication destination computer based on the searched IP address.
[0004]
When constructing a new LAN like this, or when adding, deleting, or changing the host name and IP address in the HOSTS file already provided on each computer in the LAN, maintenance personnel and system administrators However, each HOSTS file was set by going through each computer in the LAN one by one and checking it against the host name and IP address recorded in writing.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, every time the number of computers connected to the LAN increases or decreases, the HOSTS file of all computers must be rewritten one by one by maintenance workers. Enormous work hours and labor costs were inevitable.
[0006]
However, in spite of a great deal of time and money, it was a manual setting operation that inevitably caused input errors in HOSTS files on some computers. If a server or client that incorrectly stores the host name or IP address exists in the LAN, communication may not be performed accurately in the LAN.
[0007]
Therefore, the problem of the present invention is that in a client = server type LAN adopting TCP / IP as a communication protocol, a maintenance worker does not bother to go around each computer in the LAN and set a HOSTS file provided in the client. also, the full § i le management method is Ru can be easily set the host name to be added to the computer in the LAN, there is provided.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention configured to achieve the above-described problem is a network system in which a plurality of computers are connected in a client-server manner, and the computers constituting the network system are grouped and defined for each group. A HOSTS file management method for managing a HOSTS file included in each computer in accordance with an instruction for editing definitions for computers belonging to any group on any one computer. A server program that extracts definitions related to groups from the HOSTS file, edits the extracted definitions according to the instructions, and notifies the edited definitions to each computer is executed. On each computer, the server program notifies the definition. By the defined definition That the client program for rewriting obtain the HOSTS file is executed, and features.
[0009]
When configured in this way, the server program notifies the client of the definition extracted and edited from the HOSTS file, and the client program defines definitions in the same group as the definition notified by the server in the HOSTS file provided by itself. Is extracted and the definition notified from the server is written to the HOSTS file.
[0010]
Therefore, if the HOSTS file is edited on the server, the contents of the HOSTS file provided in the host can be rewritten without editing the HOSTS file on each host in the LAN. Therefore, the network administrator does not have to set each HOSTS file provided in the client by going around each computer in the LAN.
[0011]
Also, in the LAN, the entire HOSTS file is not carried from the server, but a file storing only the extracted definitions is carried from the server, so that message data flowing in the network can be reduced to a small amount.
[0012]
A program stored in a computer-readable recording medium according to the present invention is a program that belongs to any group with respect to any one of a plurality of computers constituting a network system connected in a client-server type. In response to an instruction to edit the definition of the group, the definition relating to the group is extracted from the HOSTS file, the extracted definition is edited in accordance with the instruction, and the edited definition is notified to each computer.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of a HOSTS file management method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a HOSTS file management method according to the present invention. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the server system 10 according to this example, FIG. 3 is a schematic overall view of a client server system in which the HOSTS file management method of this example is implemented, and FIG. 4 is a diagram of the HOSTS file 1 according to this example. It is an illustration figure which shows an example of description.
[0015]
A LAN (Local Area Network), which is a network medium for carrying out the HOSTS file management method of the present invention, is a server system 10 and client systems 20, 30,... That use services provided by the server system 10. A network of a certain range is formed by connecting a plurality of computers consisting of The server system 10 is provided with an OS (Operating System) for managing execution of applications or system management such as network management.
[0016]
Since the LAN used in this example uses TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol) as the communication protocol, computers in the LAN use IP addresses specified by higher layers such as TCP. To perform IP communication. For this reason, each of the server system 10 and the client systems 20, 30,... Is assigned with an IP address represented by four numbers separated by dots so as not to overlap each other.
[0017]
However, since it is difficult for LAN users (network users) to store and identify addresses consisting only of numbers, each computer (host) 10, 20,. The computer name (host name) consists of columns. The host names given to the hosts 10, 20,... Are not duplicated in the LAN, and the hosts 10, 20,. An IP address corresponding to the host name is searched from the HOSTS file, and communication data is transmitted and received based on the searched IP address.
[0018]
FIG. 4 shows an example of the above-described HOSTS file. As shown in FIG. 4, in this HOSTS file 1, for every IP address (192.168.111.111, 192.168.111.112,...) In the LAN, a host name (PPPPPPPP, QQQQQQQQ, ..) And the remarks (* Ga * HHHHHHHH, * Gb * IIIIIII,...) Relating to this host name, all data is stored. Further, in this HOSTS file 1, the data of “IP address”, “host name” and “remarks” for one host are described in a line separated by several spaces. Hereinafter, the data recorded in one line is referred to as one record.
[0019]
By the way, in this example, all the hosts 10, 20,... In the LAN are divided into several groups, and group names that do not overlap each other are set for each group. This group may be set separately for each segment in the LAN, or may be set separately for each host in a logical group (for example, work group), either of which may be used. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the group name (* Ga, * Gb,...) Of the group to which each host belongs is described in “Remarks”.
[0020]
Further, supplementary items (* HHHHHHH, * IIIIIII,...) That cannot be explained by the host name are written next to the group name described in “Remarks”. For example, if the network of the company with the LAN of this example is formed in this supplementary item, “XX Division XX Section”, “Suzuki Exclusive”, “First Floor 10” Write a comment such as “Room”.
[0021]
Then, the HOSTS file 1 as described above is duplicated, and the HOSTS file 1 having the same contents is stored in the server 10 and all clients 20, 30,.
[0022]
In this example, when adding a host to the LAN described above, deleting a host connected to the LAN, or changing the host name or IP address of each host, each host 10, 20,... The host is managed by the procedure shown in
[0023]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, first, when the server program 15 is activated in the server system 10, the HOSTS file 1 is read by the HOSTS file input unit 15a of the server program 15. In the data dividing unit 15b of the server program 15, the group name shown in each record of the HOSTS file 1 is searched, and each record is divided into groups. Each record divided for each group is stored in a divided HOSTS file 1a, 1b,..., 1z prepared for each group by the divided HOSTS file creation unit 15c of the program 15.
[0024]
Next, when a new host is connected to the LAN, the network administrator reads the divided HOSTS file (for example, 1b) of the group to which the host belongs from the disk device of the server system 10, and uses the editor or the like to read the new host A new record consisting of a name, an IP address to be assigned, and a remark including the group name to which it belongs is input to this divided HOSTS file 1b. Similarly, when a host connected to the LAN is removed from the LAN, the record of the host is deleted from the divided HOSTS file (for example, 1b). When changing the host name or IP address used in the LAN, the host name or IP address in the record of the host is changed from the divided HOSTS file (for example, 1b) of the group to which the corresponding host belongs. Then, the divided HOSTS file 1′b in which the record is partially changed as described above is stored in the disk device of the server system 10.
[0025]
In the server system 10, the fact that the divided HOSTS file 1b of the HOSTS file 1 has been changed is displayed in an application that can be freely accessed from each client system 20, 30,. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, each client system 20, 30,... Accesses the application of the server system 10 as necessary or periodically, and has undergone a setting change. HOSTS file 1'b can be picked up. Hereinafter, a case where the client system 20 receives the divided HOSTS file 1′b will be described.
[0026]
First, when the client program 25 is activated in the client system 20 that has received the divided HOSTS file 1′b, the divided HOSTS file 1′b is read by the divided HOSTS file input unit 25a of the client program 25. In the HOSTS file writing unit 25b of the client program 25, the group name described in “Remarks” of the divided HOSTS file 1′b is read, and a record having the same group name as this group name is read by the client system 20. The HOSTS file 1 stored in the disk device is searched and deleted. In the HOSTS file 1 from which a part of the record is deleted, the record recorded in the divided HOSTS file 1′b is written, and the HOSTS file 1 ′ in which the description content is changed is the disk device of the client system 20. Saved in.
[0027]
By the way, also in the server system 10, the contents of the stored HOSTS file 1 are rewritten by the same method as the client systems 20, 30,. It is stored in the disk device of the system 10.
[0028]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when adding or removing a computer connected to the LAN, or changing the host name or IP address assigned to the computer, the server system 10 and the client system 20, Can mutually change the HOSTS file 1 provided in each of the hosts 10, 20,... To the HOSTS file 1 ′.
[0029]
Therefore, each host 10, 20,... In the LAN can accurately communicate with the destination host 10, 20,... Based on the IP address retrieved from the changed HOSTS file 1 ′. Can do.
[0030]
Further, as compared with the case where the HOSTS file 1 'whose description is changed is broadcast from the server 10 to all the clients 20, 30,..., Only the divided HOSTS file whose description is changed is included in each client 20, 30,. ... It is only necessary to carry it according to the request, so that the amount of message data carried on the LAN can be reduced.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the full § i le management method of the present invention, in the client-server type of LAN that employs a TCP / IP as the communication protocol, the maintenance worker around the bother each computer in LAN You can easily set the host name assigned to a computer in the LAN without having to set up a HOSTS file on the client.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a client server system showing an embodiment of a HOSTS file management method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a server system in which a HOSTS file management method of this example is implemented. Schematic overall view of the network system in which the HOSTS file management method of this example is implemented FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of the description of the HOSTS file stored in the system in which the HOSTS file of this example is implemented Explanation】
1, 1 'HOSTS file 1a-1z, 1'b divided HOSTS file 10 server system 15 server program 20-100 client system 25 client program

Claims (4)

A method for managing a host file for storing correspondence information in which a plurality of hosts connected to each other via a network are connected to each other by associating an IP address set to the host with a domain name Because
Any one of the hosts divides the correspondence information of each host into several groups, stores the correspondence information for each group in a divided host file, and holds the editing information freely.
Each of the hosts monitors whether the contents of each of the divided host files are updated, and determines that the contents of any of the divided host files are updated. It is characterized in that only the divided host file whose contents are updated is acquired from the holding host, and the corresponding part of the contents of the host file held by itself is updated with the contents of the acquired divided host file. Hosts file management method. The correspondence information is associated with IP address and domain name as well as group identification information for identifying the group to which it belongs,
When each host reflects the acquired divided hosts file in its own host file, the correspondence information having the same group identification information as the group identification information included in the correspondence information in the acquired divided hosts file. 2. The host file management method according to claim 1, further comprising: adding correspondence information in the obtained divided host file to the host file after deleting the host file from the host file. When the contents of any of the divided host files are updated, each host can freely acquire information for specifying the divided host file whose contents are updated. Keep it in a safe state,
Each of the hosts periodically accesses the host holding each of the divided host files, and when the information specifying the divided host file whose contents are updated can be acquired, 3. The host file management method according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that the content has been updated. Computer
For each of a plurality of hosts connected to be able to communicate with each other via a network, a host file that stores correspondence information in which the IP address set for the host is associated with a domain name is stored in a storage device. Storage means,
The correspondence information of each computer is divided into several groups, the correspondence information for each group is stored in a divided host file, and the contents of any divided host file are updated in the host that can be freely edited. Monitoring means for monitoring what happens
If the monitoring unit determines that the contents of any of the divided host files have been updated, only the divided host file whose contents have been updated is acquired from the host holding each of the divided host files. Acquisition means, and
A host file management program that causes a corresponding portion in the contents of its own host file in the storage device to function as an update unit that updates the content of the divided host file acquired by the acquisition unit is recorded Computer-readable medium.

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