Solaris Transition Guide

DNS and NIS+ Comparison

Table 13-1 shows the features and benefits of DNS compared to NIS+.

Table 13-1 DNS and NIS+ Features and Benefits Compared


Feature	DNS	NIS+
Security	Unrestricted access to data	All operations can be authenticated
		Administrator designates access rights for objects and entries
API and human interface	Allows read-only access to name service	Allows read-write access to name service. Provides: - Efficient support of changing network environment - API support of administrative operations - Support of administrative and other distributed applications
Updating	By transfer of zone master files	By incremental data transfer - Fast support of changing network environments - Stronger consistency
Compatibility with NIS	Not applicable	Existing NIS applications can migrate smoothly
Data support	ASCII data only with packet size restriction	Binary and ASCII data. Provides: - Support of variable information - Support of larger objects

The main strength of DNS is in supporting hierarchical database partitions and replicas containing entries of relatively static information (such as host name and IP address). DNS enables you to access the Internet.

NIS+, in contrast, is a secure repository of changing administrative information (such as email aliases, Ethernet addresses, RPC program numbers) for enterprise networks.