Enterprise Naming Services

Enterprise-level naming services are used to name objects within an enterprise. FNS currently supports three enterprise-level naming services:

• NIS+ (see "NIS+".).

• NIS (see "NIS").

• Files (see "Files-Based").

NIS+

NIS+ is the preferred enterprise-wide information service in the Solaris operating environment environment. FNS organization units correspond to NIS+ domains and subdomains. There is one orgunit context for each domain and subdomain.

Under NIS+, FNS context and attribute data are stored in NIS+ tables. These tables are stored in NIS+ directory objects named ctx_dir. There is a ctx_dir directory object for each NIS+ domain and subdomain, residing at the same level as the domain's groups_dir and org_dir directory objects. Thus, the directory object ctx_dir.sales.doc.com. contains FNS tables which store FNS context and attribute data for the sales.doc.com. domain.

Under NIS+, you use FNS and NIS+ commands to work with the information in FNS tables. Do not edit these tables directly or manipulate them with UNIX commands.

NIS

NIS is an enterprise-wide information service in the Solaris environment. Each enterprise is a single NIS domain. There is one FNS organizational unit which corresponds to the single NIS domain.

Under NIS, FNS context and attribute data are stored in NIS maps. These maps are stored in a /var/yp/domainname directory on a NIS server. Under NIS, the super user can use FNS commands to work with the information in FNS maps.

NIS Clients Can Update Contexts With FNS if SKI is Running

If certain conditions are met, any NIS client (machine, process, or user) can use FNS commands such as fncreate_fs or fncreate_printer to update the client's own contexts. This allows NIS clients to use FNS commands to update applications such as Printer Administrator, CDE Calendar Manager, Admin Tool and others.

For non-super-users to update their own contexts with FNS commands, the following conditions must be met:

• Secure Key_management Infrastructure (SKI) must be available on the NIS master server.

• The fnsypd daemon must be running on the NIS master server. This daemon must be started by someone with super user privileges.

• A client user or machine is only allowed to update its own context.

• The client must be authorized to perform the requested update.

SKI does not support 64-bit mode. Thus, NIS clients cannot update contexts in 64-bit mode.

Files-Based

Files refers to the naming files normally found in a machine's /etc directory. These machine-based files contain UNIX user and password information, host information, mail aliases, and so forth. They also support Solaris-specific data such as the automount maps.

Under a files-based naming system, FNS context and attribute data is stored in files. These FNS files are stored in machine's /var/fn directory. (The /var/fn directory does not have to be on each machine, it could be exported from an NFS file server.)

Under a files naming system, you use FNS commands to work with the information in FNS files.