ypfiles(4)                                                         File Formats                                                         ypfiles(4)

NAME

       ypfiles - Network Information Service Version 2, formerly knows as YP

DESCRIPTION

       The NIS network information service uses a distributed, replicated database of dbm files , in ASCII form, that are contained in the /var/yp
       directory hierarchy on each NIS server.

       A dbm database served by the NIS server is called a NIS map. A NIS domain is a subdirectory of /var/yp that contains a set of NIS  maps  on
       each NIS server.

       Standard  nicknames  are  defined  in  the file /var/yp/nicknames. These names can be used in place of the full map name in the ypmatch and
       ypcat commands. Use the command ypwhich -x to display the current set of nicknames.  Use the command ypwhich -m to display all  the  avail-
       able  maps.  Each  line  of the nickname file contains two fields separated by white space. The first field is the nickname, and the second
       field is the name of the map that it expands to. The nickname cannot contain a ".".

   NIS to LDAP (N2L)
       If the /var/yp/NISLDAPmapping configuration file is present, the NIS server operates in NIS to LDAP (N2L) mode. In this mode, NIS maps  are
       stored  in a new set of DBM files, prepended by the LDAP_ prefix, at /var/yp/domainename.  These files are used as a cache backed by infor-
       mation from an LDAP server.  Additional DBM files are created in the same directory to hold the cache's TTL values.

       N2L mode enables NIS clients to be supported in an LDAP environment.

       In N2L mode, the old style DBM files, NIS source files, and the ypmake(1M) utility have to role. They are retained to enable  easy  conver-
       sion back to the traditional mode, if required.

   Converting from N2L to Traditional NIS
       When  NIS  is  operating  in  N2L mode, it uses a new set of NIS maps with an LDAP_ prefix, based on the contents of the LDAP DIT.  The NIS
       source files are unused and become out of date. If you wish to convert back to the traditional NIS mode, the N2L configuration file  should
       be  deleted.  The system will then return to using the standard map files. Optionally, the N2L mode map files, /var/yp/*/LDAP_* can also be
       deleted.

       If you want to run the system in traditional mode with information based on the DIT, then the NIS source files must be regenerated based on
       the N2L maps. To regenerate the NIS source files based on the N2L maps, run ypmap2src(1M).

   NIS+
       NIS+ also provides a NIS service when it runs in YP-compatibility mode.  See nis+(1) and rpc.nisd(1M).  NIS+, in any mode, cannot be run on
       the same system as ypserv, whether ypserv is in traditional or N2L mode.

FILES

       /var/yp

           Directory containing NIS configuration files.

       /var/yp/binding

           Stores the information required to bind the NIS client to the NIS server.

       /var/yp/binding/ypdomain/ypservers

           Contains the servers to which the NIS client is allowed to bind.

       /var/yp/Makefile

           Builds the NIS ndbm databases.

       /var/yp/nicknames

           Nicknames file.

       /var/yp/securenets

           Defines the hosts and networks that are granted access to information in the served domain. This file is read at startup time by ypserv
           and ypxfrd.

       /var/yp/ypdomain

           Directory containing ndbm databases.

       /var/yp/NISLDAPmapping

           NIS to LDAP configuration file

       /var/yp/*/LDAP_*

           NIS to LDAP mode map files

SEE ALSO

       ldap(1),  nis+(1),  makedbm(1M),  nisaddent(1M), nissetup(1M), rpc.nisd(1M), ypbind(1M), ypinit(1M), ypmake(1M), ypmap2src(1M), ypserv(1M),
       ypxfrd(1M), ndbm(3C), ypclnt(3NSL)

NOTES

       The NIS+ server, rpc.nisd, when run in "YP-compatibility mode", can support NIS clients only for the standard NIS maps listed  below,  pro-
       vided  that  it  has been set up to serve the corresponding NIS+ tables using nissetup(1M) and nisaddent(1M).  The NIS+ server should serve
       the directory with the same name (case sensitive) as the domainname of the NIS client. NIS+ servers use secure RPC to verify client creden-
       tials but the NIS clients do not authenticate their requests using secure RPC. Therefore, NIS clients can look up the information stored by
       the NIS+ server only if the information has "read" access for an unauthenticated client, that is, one with nobody NIS+ credentials.

       NIS maps                         NIS+ tables

       passwd.byname                   passwd.org_dir

       passwd.byuid                    passwd.org_dir

       group.byname                    group.org_dir

       group.bygid                     group.org_dir

       publickey.byname                cred.org_dir

       hosts.byaddr                    hosts.org_dir

       hosts.byname                    hosts.org_dir

       mail.byaddr                     mail_aliases.org_dir

       mail.aliases                    mail_aliases.org_dir

       services.byname                 services.org_dir

       services.byservicename          services.org_dir

       rpc.bynumber                    rpc.org_dir

       rpc.byname                      rpc.org_dir

       protocols.bynumber              protocols.org_dir

       protocols.byname                protocols.org_dir

       networks.byaddr                 networks.org_dir

       networks.byname                 networks.org_dir

       netmasks.byaddr                 netmasks.org_dir

       ethers.byname                   ethers.org_dir

       ethers.byaddr                   ethers.byname

       bootparams                      bootparams

       auto.master                     auto_master.org_dir

       auto.home                       auto_home.org_dir

       auto.direct                     auto_direct.org_dir

       auto.src                        auto_src.org_dir

SunOS 5.10                                                          24 Nov 2003                                                         ypfiles(4)