NFS Services Administrator's Guide (B.11.31.03) August 2008

# Master map for AutoFS
#
#auto_master
#mount-point map-name [mount-options]
/net -hosts -nosuid,nobrowse #Special Map
/home auto_home -nobrowse #Indirect Map
/- /etc/auto_direct #Direct Map
/nfs /etc/auto_indirect #Indirect Map
The master map is a primary map that defines all other maps. In this sample,
auto_master, the master map, contains a single entry each for a direct map and a
special map. It also contains a single entry for each top-level indirect map.
Deciding Between Direct and Indirect Automounts
Before you automount a remote directory, you must decide if you want to use a direct
or indirect AutoFS map.
Table 3-4 lists the advantages and disadvantages of direct and indirect AutoFS maps.
Table 3-4 Direct Versus Indirect AutoFS Map Types
Indirect MapDirect Map
Advantage: AutoFS enables you to view the available
mount-points for indirect maps without actually
mounting each filesystem when browsability is
enabled by default.
Advantage: You can view the contents of a
direct-mounted directory using the ls command.
If the contents are not currently mounted, the ls
command mounts them.
Disadvantage: An indirect map hides any local,
standard-mounted, or direct-mounted files or
directories under the mount-point for the map.
Advantage: Direct-mounted automounted directories
can export the same parent directory with local, or
standard-mounted files and directories.
Advantage: If you modify an indirect map, AutoFS
will view the changes the next time it mounts the
directory. You need not force AutoFS to reread its
maps.
Disadvantage: If you add or remove mounts in a
direct map, or if you change the local mount-point
for an existing mount in a direct map, you must
force AutoFS to reread its maps.
Advantage: When automount reads an indirect map,
it creates only one entry for the entire map in the
internal mount table, /etc/mnttab. Additional
entries are created when the directories are actually
mounted. The mount table takes up no more space
than necessary, because only mounted directories
appear in it.
Disadvantage: When automount reads a direct map,
it creates an entry for each automounted directory
in the internal mount table, /etc/mnttab. This
can cause the mount table to become very large.
Configuring AutoFS Direct and Indirect Mounts
A direct map is an automount mount-point. It creates a direct association between a
mount-point on the client and a directory on the server. Direct maps have the absolute
path name. The automounts configured in a direct map can be mounted in various
places in the local filesystem; they need not be located under the same parent directory.
Deciding Between Direct and Indirect Automounts 83