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 available
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 informa-
tion 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source files are unused and become out of date.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 credentials
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 5.11 24 Nov 2003 ypfiles(4)