NDB(6)								   Games Manual 							    NDB(6)

NAME

       ndb - Network database

DESCRIPTION

       The network database consists of files describing machines known to the local installation and machines known publicly.	The files comprise
       multi-line tuples made up of attribute/value pairs of the form attr=value or sometimes just attr.  Each line starting without  white  space
       starts a new tuple.  Lines starting with # are comments.

       The  file  /lib/ndb/local is the root of the database.  Other files are included in the database if a tuple with an attribute-value pair of
       attribute database and no value exists in /lib/ndb/local.  Within the database tuple, each tuple with attribute file identifies a  file	to
       be included in the database.  The files are searched in the order they appear.  For example:

	      database=
		   file=/lib/ndb/common
		   file=/lib/ndb/local
		   file=/lib/ndb/global

       declares  the  database to be composed of the three files /lib/ndb/common, /lib/ndb/local, and /lib/ndb/global.	By default, /lib/ndb/local
       is searched before the others.  However, /lib/ndb/local may be included in the database to redefine its ordering.

       Within tuples, pairs on the same line bind tighter than pairs on different lines.

       The program ndb/cs (see ndb(8)) and the library routine ipinfo (see ndb(2)) perform searches for information relative to a particular host.
       Ndb/cs resolves meta-addresses of the form $attribute by returning the value from the attribute=value most closely related to the resolving
       host.  The attribute-value pair comes from the tuple for the system, its subnet, or its network with the system	tuple  having  precedence,
       subnet next, and network last.

       A number of attributes are meaningful to programs and thus reserved.  They are:

       sys    system name

       dom    Internet domain name

       ip     Internet address

       ether  Ethernet address

       dk     Datakit address

       bootf  file to download for initial bootstrap

       ipnet  Internet network name

       ipmask Internet network mask

       ipgw   Internet gateway

       auth   authentication server to be used

       fs     file server to be used

       tcp    a TCP service name

       udp    a UDP service name

       il     an IL service name

       port   a TCP, UDP, or IL port number

       restricted
	      a TCP service that can be called only by ports numbered less that 1024

       proto  a protocol supported by a host.  The pair proto=il is needed by cs (see ndb(8)) in tuples for hosts that support the IL protocol.

       9P     parameters for the 9P file protocol, in particular whether the server authenticates (9P=auth).

       The file /lib/ndb/auth is used during authentication to decide who has the power to `speak for' other users; see auth(6).

EXAMPLES

       A tuple for the CPU server, spindle.

       sys = spindle
	    dom=spindle.research.att.com
	    bootf=/mips/9powerboot
	    ip=135.104.117.32 ether=080069020677
	    dk=nj/astro/spindle
	    proto=il

       Entries for the network mh-astro-net and its subnets.

       ipnet=mh-astro-net ip=135.104.0.0 ipmask=255.255.255.0
	    fs=bootes.research.att.com
	    ipgw=r70.research.att.com
	    auth=p9auth.research.att.com
       ipnet=unix-room ip=135.104.117.0
	    ipgw=135.104.117.1
       ipnet=third-floor ip=135.104.51.0
	    ipgw=135.104.51.1

       Mappings between TCP service names and port numbers.

       tcp=sysmon     port=401
       tcp=rexec      port=512	 restricted
       tcp=9fs	      port=564

FILES

       /lib/ndb/local
	      first database file searched

       /lib/ndb/global
	      second database file searched

SEE ALSO

       dial(2), ndb(2), ndb(8), bootp(8), ipconfig(8), con(1)

																	    NDB(6)