Purpose
The hosts file is one of several system facilities that assists in addressing network nodes in a computer network. It is a common part of an operating system's Internet Protocol (IP) implementation, and serves the function of translating human-friendly hostnames into numeric protocol addresses, called IP addresses, that identify and locate a host in an IP network.
In some operating systems, the hosts file's content is used preferentially to other methods, such as the Domain Name System (DNS), but many systems implement name service switches (e.g., nsswitch.conf for Linux and Unix) to provide customization. Unlike the DNS, the hosts file is under the direct control of the local computer's administrator.
Read more about this topic: Hosts (file)
Famous quotes containing the word purpose:
“Rule of religion: purpose breathes even in dirt and stones.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)
“There are a sort of men whose visages
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As who should say, “I am Sir Oracle,
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—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
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—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)