Setup and Configuration Preparation

Before configuring your NIS+ namespace, you must:

• Install properly configured nsswitch.conf files on all the machines that use NIS+. See Chapter 1, Setting Up the Name Service Switch for details.

• Plan your NIS+ layout. This includes:

  • Planning your namespace. What will your domain name be? Will you have subdomains, and if so how will they be organized? Which machines will be in which domain? Will your domain be connected to a higher domain or to the Internet?

  • Determining your server requirements. How many replica servers will be needed for each domain? What type of server, processor speed, and memory is required? How much server disk space is needed?

    See the NIS+ Transition Guide for a detailed description of these and other planning issues, and recommended guidelines.

• Prepare your existing namespace (if any). See "Preparing the Existing Namespace".

• Choose a root server machine.

• Make sure that you have at least one system already running at your site that can be used as your root master server. This machine must contain at least one user (root) in the system information files, such as /etc/passwd. (Machines usually come with root in the system files, so this should not be a problem.)