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YPFILES(5)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       YPFILES(5)



[1mNAME
     [0mypfiles - the Network Information Service database and
     directory structure

[1mDESCRIPTION
     [0mThe Network Information Service (NIS) network lookup service
     uses a distributed, replicated database of _d_b_m files con-
     tained in the /_v_a_r/_y_p directory hierarchy on each NIS
     server.  A _d_b_m database consists of two files, created by
     calls to the _n_d_b_m(3) library package.  One has the filename
     extension ._p_a_g and the other has the filename extension
     ._d_i_r.  For instance, the database named _h_o_s_t_s._b_y_n_a_m_e, is
     implemented by the pair of files _h_o_s_t_s._b_y_n_a_m_e._p_a_g and
     _h_o_s_t_s._b_y_n_a_m_e._d_i_r.

     A _d_b_m database served by the NIS is called a NIS _m_a_p.  A NIS
     _d_o_m_a_i_n is a subdirectory of /_v_a_r/_y_p containing a set of NIS
     maps.  Any number of NIS domains can exist.  Each may con-
     tain any number of maps.

     No maps are required by the NIS lookup service itself,
     although they may be required for the normal operation of
     other parts of the system.  There is no list of maps which
     the NIS serves - if the map exists in a given domain, and a
     client asks about it, the NIS will serve it.  For a map to
     be accessible consistently, it must exist on all NIS servers
     that serve the domain.  To provide data consistency between
     the replicated maps, an  entry to run _y_p_x_f_r periodically
     should be made in the super-user's _c_r_o_n_t_a_b file on each
     server.  More information on this topic is in _y_p_x_f_r(8).

     NIS maps should contain two distinguished key-value pairs.
     The first is the key [1mYP_LAST_MODIFIED[0m, having as a value a
     ten-character ASCII order number.	The order number should
     be the system time in seconds when the map was built.  The
     second key is [1mYP_MASTER_NAME[0m, with the name of the NIS mas-
     ter server as a value.  _m_a_k_e_d_b_m(8) generates both key-value
     pairs automatically.  A map that does not contain both key-
     value pairs can be served by the NIS, but the _y_p_s_e_r_v process
     will not be able to return values for ``Get order number''
     or ``Get master name'' requests.  See _y_p_s_e_r_v(8).  In addi-
     tion, values of these two keys are used by _y_p_x_f_r when it
     transfers a map from a master NIS server to a slave.  If
     _y_p_x_f_r cannot figure out where to get the map, or if it is
     unable to determine whether the local copy is more recent
     than the copy at the master, you must set extra command line
     switches when you run it.

     NIS maps must be generated and modified only at the master
     server.  They are copied to the slaves using _y_p_x_f_r(8) to
     avoid potential byte-ordering problems among NIS servers
     running on machines with different architectures, and to



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YPFILES(5)	    UNIX Programmer's Manual	       YPFILES(5)



     minimize the amount of disk space required for the dbm
     files.  The NIS database can be initially set up for both
     masters and slaves by using _y_p_i_n_i_t(8).

     After the server databases are set up, it is probable that
     the contents of some maps will change.  In general, some
     ASCII source version of the database exists on the master,
     and it is changed with a standard text editor.  The update
     is incorporated into the NIS map and is propagated from the
     master to the slaves by running /_v_a_r/_y_p/_M_a_k_e_f_i_l_e.	All maps
     supplied with this OS have entries in /_v_a_r/_y_p/_M_a_k_e_f_i_l_e; if
     you add a NIS map, edit this file to support the new map.
     The makefile uses _m_a_k_e_d_b_m(8) to generate the NIS map on the
     master, and _y_p_p_u_s_h(8) to propagate the changed map to the
     slaves.  _y_p_p_u_s_h is a client of the map _y_p_s_e_r_v_e_r_s, which
     lists all the NIS servers.  For more information on this
     topic, see _y_p_p_u_s_h(8).

[1mFILES
     [0m/_v_a_r/_y_p
     /_v_a_r/_y_p/_M_a_k_e_f_i_l_e

[1mSEE ALSO
     [0m_d_b_m(3X), _m_a_k_e_d_b_m(8), _r_p_c_i_n_f_o(8C), _y_p_i_n_i_t(8), _y_p_m_a_k_e(8),
     _y_p_p_o_l_l(8), _y_p_p_u_s_h(8), _y_p_s_e_r_v(8), _y_p_x_f_r(8),






























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