Configuring /etc/nsswitch

By editing the /etc/nsswitch.conf file, you can avoid or minimize the occurrence of timeout delays.

If your facility does not make extensive use of the networked name services, configure your system to use the files name service by copying /etc/nsswitch.files to /etc/nsswitch.conf.

If your facility makes use of the networked name service, create a hybrid configuration file, such as the following one:

#
# /etc/nsswitch.conf
#
# An example file that could be copied to /etc/nsswitch.conf
# This file configures the system to use the NIS name service
# sparingly, and thus allows the system to operate even when
# NIS isn't available.

passwd:     				files
group:      				files
hosts:      				files		nis
networks:   				files
protocols: 				files
rpc:        				files
ethers:     				files
netmasks:   				files	
bootparams: 				files
publickey: 				files
netgroup:   				files
automount: 				files		nis
aliases:    				files
services:   				files
sendmailvars:				files

This configuration instructs the system to use the NIS name service only when a host name is not found in /etc/inet/hosts or when the automounter cannot find an automount map file in the /etc directory. All other name service lookups are satisfied by the files name service, as defined by the corresponding files in the /etc directory.

You may find that you can configure /etc/nsswitch.conf in a better way for your specific site's network configuration. Feel free to experiment with the contents of /etc/nsswitch.conf or add entries to the specific service files on your system until it meets your needs.

If you are running NIS, you can prevent timeouts from occurring by stopping and starting NIS binding services (i.e. ypbind) when you disconnect and reconnect the SPARCstation Voyager from and to the network. However, the user is the one who must stop and start the binding services at each disconnection and reconnection. The process may not be worth the trouble.