If you are using NIS, you can specify in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file to search the NIS maps for projects:
project: nis files |
The NIS map, either project.byname or project.bynumber, has the same form as the /etc/project file:
projname:projid:comment:user-list:group-list:attributes |
For more information, see System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (DNS, NIS, and LDAP).