Setting up Network on Database server using the Command Line

Sometimes as a DBA you may find yourself in a database server environment without any graphical interface and you are forced to use the command line to setup the network. The procedure below shows you how to do that:-

You setup a dynamic IP by editing the file:

/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0 as root user

It should look like this:

DEVICE=eth0
HWADDR=08:00:27:37:A4:23 -------- ( ! replace with your network device macc addr )
TYPE=Ethernet
UUID=6c8852cb-7819-46a3-9d ------- ( ! must not be the same)
ONBOOT=yes --- ( ! very important)
NM_CONTROLLED=yes
BOOTPROTO=dhcp

For static ip edit the same file if you are using the device eth0 and just add the following:

DEVICE=eth0
BOOTPROTO=STATIC
IPADDR=192.168.0.5
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY=192.168.0.1
ONBOOT=yes

After saving the changes, you need to restart the network daemon using the following command:-

$ sudo /etc/init.d/network stop
$ sudo /etc/init.d/network start

This should provide IP address to eth0 interface also. And ifconfig command should list eth0 also.

After you configure the ip address run the following commands:-

# service NetworkManager stop
# chkconfig NetworkManager off

It will retain the provided ip even after booting.
Also if you just want to quickly setup a network device run the command ifconfig -a to get the device name.
Once you get the name you want to setup use the following command:-

ifconfig eth0 192.168.0.5 netmask 255.255.255.0