A host name can consist of up to 64 bytes. However, if Embedded RDB is used in the JP1/Software Distribution Manager (central manager and relay manager), a host name can consist of a maximum of 32 bytes.

A specified host name must satisfy the following conditions:

• Only alphabetic characters (A-Z, a-z), numeric digits (0-9), the minus sign (-), and the period (.) may be used.
• The period (.) may be used only as a domain name delimiter.
• If DNS is used, a host name must be in the format host-name.domain-name, and the length including the domain name length cannot exceed 64 bytes.
• The first character of a host name must be an alphabetic character.
• Spaces cannot be used.
• Because host names are not case-sensitive, a name that duplicates another name when uppercase letters are changed to lowercase (or vice versa) cannot be used.
• A host name cannot end with a minus sign (-) or a period (.).
• Aliases that are defined in a hosts file cannot be used as host names.
• In a system that uses host names as the node identification key, all hosts that use JP1/Software Distribution must be assigned unique host names.
• localhost cannot be used as a host name.
• For Windows 95 clients, the underscore (_) cannot be used as part of a host name.

The combined total length of all the host names in the system, from highest to lowest (including delimiters between host names), cannot exceed 255 characters. Because some systems, such as UNIX systems, require case-sensitivity, you should use only uppercase or only lowercase letters for host names in a network that uses JP1/Software Distribution.

The following Software Distribution systems do not allow 64 bytes for a host name:

Managing servers

• Software Distribution Manager 03-20 and earlier
• Software Distribution 01-00

Relay systems

• Software Distribution SubManager 03-20 and earlier
• Software Distribution/W-AF 01-08 and earlier
• Software Distribution/W 01-13 and earlier
• Software Distribution/W Version 3.0 03-00

Clients

• Software Distribution Client 03-20 and earlier
• Software Distribution/W 01-13 and earlier
• Software Distribution/W Version 3.0 03-00

If your configuration includes a system that does not allow 64 bytes for the host name, you must observe the following conditions in specifying host names:

• No host name may exceed 32 bytes in length.
• The combined total length of all host names in the system, from highest (managing server) to lowest, must not exceed 64 bytes.

If any lower relay system contains a Software Distribution system that does not allow a 64-byte host name, you must specify the host name of its higher relay system or managing server with no more than 32 bytes.