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

/- direct_map_name [mount_options]
2. If you are using local files for maps, use an editor to open or create a direct map
in the /etc directory. The direct map is commonly called /etc/auto_direct.
Add an entry to the direct map with the following syntax:
local_directory [mount_options] server:remote_directory
If you are using NIS or LDAP to manage maps, add an entry to the direct map on
the NIS master server or the LDAP directory.
3. If you are using NIS to manage maps, rebuild the maps and push them to the slave
servers. For more information on management of NIS maps, see the NIS
Administrator’s Guide (5991-2187).
4. On each host that uses the map you have modified, enter the following command
to force AutoFS to read the modified map:
/usr/sbin/automount
IMPORTANT: Do not automount a remote directory on a local directory, which is a
symbolic link.
Ensure that the local mount-point specified in the AutoFS map entry is different from
the exported directory on the NFS server. If it is the same, and the NFS server also acts
as an NFS client and uses AutoFS with these map entries, the exported directory can
attempt to mount over itself. This can result in unexpected behavior. A directory might
also attempt to mount over itself if you use a single set of AutoFS maps that are
distributed using NIS or LDAP, or are in a High Availability environment.
Consider the following sample entries in the /etc/auto_master, and /etc/
auto_direct maps:
# Contents of the /etc/auto_master sample map
/net -hosts -nosuid,soft,nobrowse
/- auto_direct
# Contents of the /etc/auto_direct sample map:
/tmp/export auto23:/tmp/export
If the NFS server also acts as an NFS client, for example auto23 acts as the NFS server
and client, and the AutoFS map references the NFS server and tries to overlay a VxFS
path, it may result in unexpected behavior.
Notes on Direct Maps
The mount options that you can specify in the AutoFS maps are the same options that
you use for the type of filesystems you attempt to automount. For example, if the
filesystem type is NFS, then the mount options you use are identical to the ones used
for standard NFS mounted directories. For more information on the different mount
options, see “Changing the Default Mount Options” (page 55).
Configuring AutoFS Direct and Indirect Mounts 85