[Spread-users] "Machine names" in spread.conf

[Tim Peters]

When configuring a Spread segment, and identifying a machine by both a name
and an IP address:

Spread_Segment 1.2.3.4 {
      x.y.z    5.6.7.8
}

is "the name" required to have any meaning apart from its use in
spread.conf?  For example, is it required that gethostbyname("x.y.z") know
about "x.y.z"?

I haven't seen evidence that it's anything other than an arbitrary string of
characters for Spread's internal use, but can't find any words to that
effect.

I ask because our users naturally tend to put names here like

    ridiculously.long.path.theircompany.com   5.6.7.8

and then we get into various kinds of trouble; e.g., see

http://lists.spread.org/pipermail/spread-users/2003-October/001645.html

In that specific case, "storage1" resolved to the same box outside of Spread
too (gethostbyname("storage1") knew about it), so that we got away with
using storage1 as the name there didn't really resolve the question being
asked right now.