Enhanced AutoFS Administrator's Guide

Configuring and Administering AutoFS
Configuring Multiple Servers for an AutoFS Directory
Chapter 3 45
Configuring Multiple Servers for an AutoFS
Directory
To configure multiple (replicated) servers for an AutoFS directory,
perform the following steps:
1. Follow the instructions mentioned in “Using a Direct AutoFS Map”
on page 35 or “Using an Indirect AutoFS Map” on page 38.
2. In the direct or indirect map, modify the line that mounts the remote
directory so that multiple servers are listed.
• If the remote directory has a different name on different servers,
use a syntax like the following example from a direct map:
/nfs/proj2/schedule -ro \
broccoli:/export/proj2/schedule\
cauliflower:/proj2/FY94/schedule
AutoFS reads this entry as one line. The line has been broken for
readability, and the backslash (\) character indicates that the
line continues after the line break.
• If the remote directory has the same name on every server, use a
syntax like the following example from an indirect map:
man -ro broccoli,cabbage,cauliflower:/usr/share/man
• You can assign weights to the various servers by specifying a
number in parentheses after each server name. If the weight
number is lower, the server is more likely to be selected.
man -ro\
broccoli(1),cabbage(2),cauliflower(3):/usr/share/man
Servers with no weight specified have a default weight of zero
(most likely to be selected).
Server proximity is more important than the weights you assign.
A server on the same network segment as the client is more
likely to be selected than a server on another network segment,
regardless of the weights you assign. The weight has effect only
when selecting between servers with the same network
proximity.