Autofs works with file systems that are specified in the local namespace. This information can be maintained in NIS (Network Information Service) or local files. Autofs supports the following features:
A fully multithreaded version of the automountd feature capability makes autofs reliable. This feature enables concurrent servicing of multiple mounts, which prevents the service from hanging if a server is unavailable.
The automountd feature also provides on-demand mounting. Only the top file system is mounted. Other file systems that are related to this mount point are mounted when needed.
The autofs service supports the "browsability" of indirect maps. This support enables a user to see which directories could be mounted without having to actually mount each file system. A –nobrowse option ensures that large file systems, such as /net and /home, are not automatically browsable. Also, you can turn off autofs browsability on each client by using the –n option with the automount command. For more information about different methods to disable autofs browsability, see Disabling Autofs Browsability.