System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (NIS+)

Storing and Updating NIS+ Credential Information

Credential-related information, such as public keys, is stored in many locations throughout the namespace. NIS+ updates this information periodically, depending on the time-to-live values of the objects that store it, but sometimes, between updates, it gets out of sync. As a result, you may find that operations that should work, don't work. Table 24–2 lists all the objects, tables, and files that store credential-related information and how to reset it.

Table 24–2 Where NIS+ Credential-Related Information Is Stored


Item	Stores	To Reset or Change
cred table	NIS+ principal's secret key and public key. These are the master copies of these keys.	Use `nisaddcred` to create new credentials; it updates existing credentials. An alternative is `chkey`.
Directory object	A copy of the public key of each server that supports it.	Run the `/usr/lib/nis/nisupdkeys` command on the directory object.
Keyserver	The secret key of the NIS+ principal that is currently logged in.	Run `keylogin` for a principal user or `keylogin` `-r` for a principal machine.
NIS+ daemon	Copies of directory objects, which in turn contain copies of their servers' public keys.	Stop the `rpc.nisd` daemon and the cache manager by disabling the NIS+ service, and then remove `NIS_SHARED_DIRCACHE` from `/var/nis`. Then restart the NIS+ service.
Directory cache	A copy of directory objects, which in turn contain copies of their servers' public keys.	Restart the NIS+ cache manager with the `-i` option.
Cold-start file	A copy of a directory object, which in turn contains copies of its servers' public keys.	Stop the NIS+ service. Remove the `NIS_COLD_START` and `NIS_SHARED_DIRCACHE` files from `/var/nis`. Restart the NIS+ service.
passwd table	A user's password or a machine's superuser password.	Use the `passwd -r nisplus` command. It changes the password in the NIS+ passwd table and updates it in the cred table.
`passwd` file	A user's password or a machine's superuser password.	Use the `passwd -r nisplus` command, whether logged in as superuser or as yourself, whichever is appropriate.
`passwd` map (NIS)	A user's password or a machine's superuser password.	Use `passwd -r nisplus`.