Regarding the legacy HOSTS file used for static name-to-address mappings, what is the maximum number of entries that can be configured?

Introduction:
Operating systems maintain a local text file (commonly called HOSTS) to map hostnames to IP addresses before or in addition to querying DNS. Understanding limitations of this file is helpful for troubleshooting name resolution or designing lab environments without DNS.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We refer to typical UNIX-like and Windows implementations where HOSTS is a plain text file parsed at lookup time.
• Entries follow a straightforward format: IP address followed by one or more hostnames/aliases.
• No formal numeric cap is defined in the specification.

Concept / Approach:
The HOSTS file is line-oriented text, and operating systems read and parse it sequentially. There is no standardized, fixed upper bound on the number of entries. Practical limits arise from system memory, parser performance, and administrative manageability rather than a hard-coded entry count. As a result, the best answer in exam contexts is that the HOSTS file supports an effectively unlimited number of entries (subject to practical constraints).

Step-by-Step Solution:
Identify HOSTS as a text database read by the resolver.Note absence of a standards-defined entry ceiling.Acknowledge performance/maintenance constraints rather than a strict limit.Select “Unlimited.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Vendor documentation focuses on format and precedence (e.g., hosts file vs. DNS) without specifying maximum row counts, reinforcing the notion of no hard limit.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 8, 255, 500: arbitrary values; not general OS-imposed maxima.
• None of the above: invalid because “Unlimited” is the accepted characterization.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing practical manageability (huge files slow lookups) with imposed numeric caps; “unlimited” here means no fixed, standardized limit.

Final Answer:
Unlimited