TCP/IP HOST NAME RESOLUTION FOR MACHINES ON SEVERAL DOMAINS

This invention deals with an enhancement to the name resolution capabilities of existing TCP/IP networks. More specifically, it allows a host which is connected to a private network to be located through a connection to a different private network or a public network, such as the internet. This is achieved by allowing the host to be configured with more than one primary domain name server. This can be done using existing TCP/IP communications protocol and does not require a change to any code outside of the host. The host can also define one or more alternate domain name servers for each of the primary domain name servers. The definition of multiple primary and secondary domain name servers for each host allows the name of the host to be located, without a degradation in performance, if it is located or defined in any of the primary domain name servers.