JavaScript is required to for searching.
Skip Navigation Links
Exit Print View
Working With Naming and Directory Services in Oracle Solaris 11.1     Oracle Solaris 11.1 Information Library
search filter icon
search icon

Document Information

Preface

Part I About Naming and Directory Services

1.  Naming and Directory Services (Overview)

2.  Name Service Switch (Overview)

3.  Managing DNS (Tasks)

4.  Setting Up Oracle Solaris Active Directory Clients (Tasks)

Part II NIS Setup and Administration

5.  Network Information Service (Overview)

NIS Introduction

NIS Architecture

NIS Machine Types

NIS Servers

NIS Clients

NIS Elements

The NIS Domain

NIS Daemons

NIS Commands

NIS Maps

Default NIS Maps

Using NIS Maps

NIS Map Nicknames

NIS Binding

Server-List Mode

Broadcast Mode

6.  Setting Up and Configuring NIS (Tasks)

7.  Administering NIS (Tasks)

8.  NIS Troubleshooting

Part III LDAP Naming Services

9.  Introduction to LDAP Naming Services (Overview)

10.  Planning Requirements for LDAP Naming Services (Tasks)

11.  Setting Up Oracle Directory Server Enterprise Edition With LDAP Clients (Tasks)

12.  Setting Up LDAP Clients (Tasks)

13.  LDAP Troubleshooting (Reference)

14.  LDAP Naming Service (Reference)

15.  Transitioning From NIS to LDAP (Tasks)

Glossary

Index

NIS Binding

NIS clients are connected to an NIS server through the binding process. This process is supported by the svc:/network/nis/client and svc:/network/nis/domain services. These services must be enabled for any NIS service to operate. The svc:/network/nis/client service can work in one of two modes: server-list or broadcast.

Normally, after a client is bound to a server, it stays bound to that server until something causes the binding to change. For example, if a server goes out of service, the clients it served will then bind to new servers.

To determine which NIS server is currently providing service to a specific client, use the following command.

% ypwhich machinename

where machinename is the name of the client. If no machine name is mentioned, the ypwhich command defaults to the local machine (that is, the machine on which the command is run).

Server-List Mode

The binding process in server-list mode works as follows:

  1. Any program, running on the NIS client machine that needs information provided by an NIS map, asks ypbind for the name of a server.

  2. The ypbind daemon looks in the /var/yp/binding/domainname/ypservers file for a list of NIS servers for the domain.

  3. The ypbind daemon initiates binding to the first server in the list. If the server does not respond, ypbind tries the second, and so on, until it finds a server or exhausts the list.

  4. The ypbind daemon tells the client process which server to talk to. The client then sends the request directly to the server.

  5. The ypserv daemon on the NIS server handles the request by consulting the appropriate map.

  6. The ypserv daemon sends the requested information back to the client.

Broadcast Mode

The broadcast mode binding process works as follows:

  1. The ypbind daemon must be started with the broadcast option set (broadcast).

  2. The ypbind daemon issues an RPC broadcast in search of an NIS server.


    Note - In order to support such clients, it is necessary to have an NIS server on each subnet requiring NIS service.


  3. The ypbind daemon initiates binding to the first server that responds to the broadcast.

  4. The ypbind daemon tells the client process which server to talk to. The client then sends the request directly to the server.

  5. The ypserv daemon on the NIS server handles the request by consulting the appropriate map.

  6. The ypserv daemon sends the requested information back to the client.