Generating host tables using SiteConfig

Planned control network settings must be applied to control network interfaces and devices must be communicating on the control network as defined in the system description.
Interfaces for networks that require name resolution via the hosts file, such as the FTP/streaming network, must have settings applied and must be communicating.
Host names defined in the system description must be correct.
The SiteConfig PC must be added to the system description so that it is included in the host tables generated by SiteConfig.

When you add or modify devices or their IP addresses in the SiteConfig system description, you should update host tables on all devices that use them.

In the Network Configuration | Networks tree view, select a network, site, or system node.
Click View Hosts file. A Hosts File Contents window opens that displays the contents of the hosts file as currently defined in the system description.
Verify the information in the hosts file.
Do one of the following:
- If you are managing host table information yourself, click Save As and save a copy of the hosts file to a location on the control point PC. Then open the copy of the hosts file, copy the desired host table information from it, and paste it into your facility hosts file as desired. Then you can use your own process to distribute the facility hosts file to devices. Remember to distribute to the control point PC so that SiteConfig and other management applications such as K2Config can resolve network host names.
- If SiteConfig is managing hosts files, do the following:
Note: Writing hosts files to multiple devices consumes system resource and network bandwidth. Therefore it is recommended that you wait and do this after the system is complete and fully implemented, rather than updating hosts files incrementally as you discover/assign devices.
1. In the Network Configuration | Devices | Devices list view, right-click a device to which you intend to write the hosts file and select View Current Host File. A Host File Contents window opens that displays the contents of the hosts file that is currently on that actual device.
2. Verify that there is no information that you want to retain in the device’s current hosts file that is not also in the hosts file as currently defined in the system description. If you need to save the device's current hosts file, click Save As and save to a different location.
3. In the Network Configuration | Devices | Devices list view, right-click a device or use Ctrl + Click to select multiple devices, and select Update Host File. The current hosts file is overwritten with the hosts file as defined in the system description.