Three Methods to Initialize an NIS+ Client

You can initialize a client in three different ways:

• By host name

• By broadcast

• By cold-start file

Each way has different prerequisites and associated tasks. For instance, before you can initialize a client by host name, the client's /etc/hosts file must list the host name you will use and the nsswitch.conf file must have files as the first choice on the hosts line.

Prior to the Solaris 10 7/07 release, before you can initialize an IPv6 client by host name, the client's /etc/inet/ipnodes file must list the host name you will use. For IPv6 addresses, specify ipnodes as the first choice on the hosts line of the nsswitch.conf file.

Following is a summary of the steps that use the nisinit command.

To initialize a client by host name, use the -c and -H options, and include the name of the server from which the client will obtain its cold-start file:

nisinit -c -H hostname

To initialize a client by cold-start file, use the -c and -C options, and provide the name of the cold-start file:

nisinit -c -C filename

To initialize a client by broadcast, use the -c and -B options:

nisinit -c -B