Network Information Service (NIS) B.11.31.04 Administrator's Guide

3 Configuring and Administering an NIS Master Server
An NIS master server holds the source files for all the NIS maps in a domain. Any
changes to the NIS maps must be made on the NIS master server. The NIS master server
delivers information to the NIS clients and supplies the NIS slave servers with the latest
maps. An NIS master server can also act as NIS client.
This chapter addresses the following topics:
• “Creating the Master passwd File” (page 25)
• “Creating the Master group File” (page 27)
• “Creating the Master hosts File” (page 28)
• “Enabling the NIS Master Server” (page 29)
• “Verifying the NIS Master Server Configuration” (page 31)
• “Configuring the NIS Master Server to Use a Private passwd File” (page 32)
• “Setting up an Alternate Directory for the passwd File” (page 33)
• “Allowing Selected Clients and Slave Servers To Access The Master Server”
(page 34)
• “Verifying the Contents of an NIS Map” (page 35)
• “Modifying an NIS Map” (page 35)
• “Adding an AutoFS Map to the NIS Domain” (page 36)
• “Removing an AutoFS Map from the NIS Domain” (page 37)
• “Adding a Slave Server to the NIS Domain” (page 38)
• “Removing a Slave Server from the NIS Domain” (page 39)
• “Enabling the DNS Forwarding Mode ” (page 40)
• “Configuring an HP-UX NIS Master Server in a Domain with Solaris™ Systems”
(page 40)
• “Enabling the Shadow Password Mode” (page 41)
• “Controlling NIS Logging” (page 41)
Creating the Master passwd File
The NIS master server passwd file is used to create NIS password maps that store user
information on the NIS server. To create the NIS master passwd file, you need to collect
user information from all systems that will be members of the NIS domain and merge
them in one passwd file on the NIS master server.
If there is no master passwd file, a blank passwd file id created. To create the NIS
master server passwd file, complete the following steps.
Creating the Master passwd File 25