NDB(8)							      System Manager's Manual							    NDB(8)

NAME

       query, mkhash, mkdb, cs, csquery, dns, dnsquery - network database

SYNOPSIS

       ndb/query attr value [ rattr ]
       ndb/mkhash file attr
       ndb/cs [ -n ] [ -f dbfile ]
       ndb/csquery
       ndb/dns [ -s ] [ -f dbfile ]
       ndb/dnsquery
       ndb/mkdb

DESCRIPTION

       The network database holds administrative information used by network programs such as bootp(8), ipconfig(8), con(1), etc.

       Ndb/query  searches  the  database  for	an  attribute of type attr and value value.  If rattr is not specified, all entries matched by the
       search are returned.  If rattr is specified, the value of the first pair with attribute rattr of all the matched entries is returned.

       Ndb/mkhash creates a hash file for all entries with attribute attr in database file file.  The hash files are used by ndb/query and by  the
       ndb library routines.

       Ndb/cs  is  a  server  used  by	dial(2)  to  translate	network  names.  Option -f supplies the name of the data base file to use, default
       /lib/ndb/local.	It is started at boot time.  It finds out what networks are configured by looking for /net/*/clone when it starts.  It can
       also be told about networks by writing to /net/cs a message of the form:

	      add net1 net2 ...

       Ndb/cs  also  sets  the	system	name  in /dev/sysname if it can figure it out.	Option -n causes cs to do nothing but set the system name.
       Ndb/csquery can be used to query ndb/cs to see how it resolves addresses.  Ndb/csquery prompts for addresses and  prints  out  what  ndb/cs
       returns.

       Ndb/dns	is a server used by ndb/cs and by remote systems to translate Internet domain names.  Ndb/dns is started at boot time.	By default
       dns serves only requests written to /net/dns.  Option -s causes the server to also answer domain requests sent to UDP port 53.  Name  reso-
       lution  is  performed  by  searching the local database and by querying remote servers.	The server for a domain is indicated by a database
       entry containing both a dom and a ns attribute.	For example, the entry for the Internet root is:

       dom=
	    ns=ns.nic.ddn.mil
	    ns=kava.nisc.sri.com
	    ns=aos.brl.mil

       The root of a domain subtree served by the local database is indicated by an entry with an soa attribute.  For example, the  AT&T  research
       domain is:

       dom=research.att.com soa
	    mb=ches.research.att.com
	    ns=inet.research.att.com
	    ns=research.research.att.com

       Here, the mb entry is the mail address of the person responsible for the domain (default postmaster).  Wild-carded domain names can also be
       used.  For example, to specify a mail forwarder for all AT&T research systems:

       dom=*.research.att.com
	    mx=research.att.com

       Ndb/dnsquery can be used to query ndb/dns to see how it resolves requests.  Ndb/dnsquery prompts for commands of the form

	      domain-name request-type

       where request-type can be ip, mx, ns, cname, ptr....  In the case of the inverse query type, ptr, dnsquery will reverse the ip address  and
       tack on the .in-addr.arpa for you.

       Ndb/mkdb is used in concert with awk(1) scripts to convert uucp systems files, IP host files, and Datakit configuration files into database
       files.  It is very specific to the situation at Murray Hill.

       When the database files change underfoot, ndb/cs and ndb/dns track them properly.  Nonetheless, to keep the database searches efficient	it
       is necessary to run ndb/mkhash whenever the files are modified.	It may be profitable to control this by a frequent cron(8) job.

EXAMPLES

       % ndb/query sys helix
       sys=helix dom=helix.research.att.com bootf=/mips/9powerboot
	    ip=135.104.117.31 ether=080069020427
	    dk=nj/astro/helix
	    proto=il
       % ndb/query sys helix ip
       135.104.117.31
       % ndb/dnsquery
       > 9net.research.att.com ip
       9net.research.att.com ip 192.20.225.252
       > 192.20.225.252 ptr
       252.225.20.192.in-addr.arpa ptr	  9net.research.att.com
       >

FILES

       /lib/ndb/local
	      first database file searched

       /lib/ndb/local.*
	      hash files for /lib/ndb/local

       /srv/cs
	      service file for ndb/cs

       /net/cs
	      where /srv/cs gets mounted

       /srv/dns
	      service file for ndb/dns

       /net/dns
	      where /srv/dns gets mounted

SOURCE

       /sys/src/cmd/ndb

SEE ALSO

       ndb(2) ndb(6)

																	    NDB(8)