Solaris Naming Setup and Configuration Guide

Chapter 3 NIS+ Setup Scripts--Introduction

This chapter describes the NIS+ scripts and what they will and will not do.

About the NIS+ Scripts

Caution -

Before running the NIS+ setup scripts, make sure you have performed the steps described in "Setup and Configuration Preparation".

The three NIS+ scripts--nisserver, nispopulate, and nisclient--enable you to set up a NIS+ namespace. The NIS+ scripts are Bourne shell scripts that execute groups of NIS+ commands so you do not have to type the NIS+ commands individually. Table 3-1 describes what each script does.

Table 3-1 NIS+ Scripts


NIS+ Script	What It Does
`nisserver`	Sets up the root master, non-root master and replica servers with level 2 security (DES)
`nispopulate`	Populates NIS+ tables in a specified domain from their corresponding system files or NIS maps
`nisclient`	Creates NIS+ credentials for hosts and users; initializes NIS+ hosts and users

What the NIS+ Scripts Will Do

In combination with a few NIS+ commands, you can use the NIS+ scripts to perform all the tasks necessary for setting up an NIS+ namespace. See the nisserver, nispopulate, and nisclient man pages for complete descriptions of these commands and their options. Chapter 4, Configuring NIS+ With Scripts shows you how to use the NIS+ scripts to set up an NIS+ namespace.

You can run each of the scripts without having the commands execute by using the -x option. This option lets you see what commands the scripts call and their approximate output without the scripts actually changing anything on your systems. Running the scripts with -x can minimize unexpected surprises.

What the NIS+ Scripts Will Not Do

While the NIS+ scripts reduce the effort required to create an NIS+ namespace, the scripts do not completely replace the individual NIS+ commands. The scripts only implement a subset of NIS+ features. If you are unfamiliar with NIS+, you may want to refer back to this section after you have created the sample NIS+ namespace.

The nisserver script only sets up an NIS+ server with the standard default tables and permissions (authorizations). This script does not:

Set special permissions for tables and directories

Add extra NIS+ principals to the NIS+ admin group

See Chapter 4, Configuring NIS+ With Scripts for how to use the nisgrpadm command instead of one of the NIS+ scripts to add extra NIS+ principals to the NIS+ admin group.

Create private tables

Run an NIS+ server at any security level other than level 2

Start the rpc.nisd daemon on remote servers, which is required to complete server installation

See Chapter 4, Configuring NIS+ With Scripts for how to use the rpc.nisd command instead of one of the NIS+ scripts to change NIS+ client machines into non-root servers.

The nisclient script does not set up an NIS+ client to resolve host names using DNS. You need to explicitly set DNS for clients that require this option.