FNS Files

FNS uses new files which are stored in /var/fn directories on each machine. (While a /var/fn directory is normally stored on each machine, you can mount and export a central /var/fn directory via NFS.)

The new FNS files are:

• fns_host.ctx which stores host attributes and subcontext data. When this is first created, it derives its information from the /etc/hosts file.

• fns_user.ctx which stores user attributes and subcontext data. When this is first created, it derives its information from the /etc/passwd file.

• fns_org.ctx which stores organization attributes and subcontext data.

• fns_host.attr which stores host attributes for attribute based searches.

• fns_user.attr which stores user attributes for attribute based searches.

• fns_org.attr which stores organization attributes for attribute based searches.

• Users' sub-context and attribute information is stored in separate /var/fn files that are owned by each user. This allows users to modify their own data with FNS commands. These user-specific files are named fns_user_username.ctx where username is the login ID of the individual user.

Service and file context information for hosts, users, and the organization are stored in the respective fns_host.ctx, fns_user.ctx, and fns_org.ctx files. Printer context information is stored in the same files as other service context information.

Sites are subcontexts of the organization and site context information is stored in the fns_org.ctx file.

These FNS files should not be edited directly. You modify or work with these files by running the appropriate FNS commands such as fncreate, fndestroy, fnbind, fnunbind, fnrename, fnattr, fnlookup, and fnlist. When you run these commands as root, they affect the context that they are applied to such as hosts, site, and organization unit. When you run these commands as a user, they affect only your own user sub-contexts.