System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (DNS, NIS, and LDAP)

ypwhich Displays Are Inconsistent

When you use ypwhich several times on the same client, the resulting display varies because the NIS server changes. This is normal. The binding of the NIS client to the NIS server changes over time when the network or the NIS servers are busy. Whenever possible, the network becomes stable at a point where all clients get acceptable response time from the NIS servers. As long as your client machine gets NIS service, it does not matter where the service comes from. For example, an NIS server machine can get its own NIS services from another NIS server on the network.