NIS+ Tables

In an NIS+ environment, most namespace information is stored in NIS+ tables.

Without a naming service, most network information would be stored in /etc files and almost all NIS+ tables have corresponding /etc files. With the NIS service, you stored network information in NIS maps that also mostly corresponded with /etc files.

This chapter describes only those that are distributed as part of NIS+. Users and application developers frequently create NIS+ compatible tables for their own purposes. For information about tables created by users and developers, you must consult the documentation that they provide.

All NIS+ tables are stored in the domain's org_dir NIS+ directory object except the admin and groups tables that are stored in the groups_dir directory object.

Do not link table entries. Tables can be linked to other tables, but do not link an entry in one table to an entry in another table.

NIS+ Tables and Other Name Services

In the Solaris system the name service switch file (nsswitch.conf) allows you to specify one or more sources for different types of namespace information. In addition to NIS+ tables, sources can be NIS maps, DNS zone files, or /etc tables. The order in which you specify them in the switch file determines how the information from different sources is combined. (See Chapter 1, Name Service Switch for more information on the switch file.)

NIS+ Table Input File Format

If you are creating input files for any of these tables, most tables share two formatting requirements:

• You must use one line per entry.

• You must separate columns with one or more spaces or Tabs.

If a particular table has different or additional format requirements, they are described under the heading, “Input File Format.”