Networking functionality has now been split into layers, almost similar in some ways to how the old simple method of accessing disks through disk slices, got split up by ZFS into pools, mirrors, and the like.

Previously, almost all network configuration in Solaris was done by the physical interface, xyz0, and some permutation of the ifconfig command. Now, however, the multiple personalities of ifconfig, have been divided up into separate commands and layers.

The basic layers can be grouped as follows:

To configure an IP address generally requires one item from each column, building step-by-step, from the left-most column, until you get to the right-hand side.

The left-most column is only visible from a global...