NFS Services Administrator's Guide

Configuring and Administering AutoFS
Deciding Between Direct and Indirect NFS Automounts
Chapter 3 115
How AutoFS Sets Up Direct and Indirect Mounts
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.
The automounts configured in an indirect map are mounted under the
same local parent directory.
Figure 3-2 shows the difference between direct mounts and indirect
mounts on an NFS client.
Figure 3-2 Difference Between Direct Mounts and Indirect Mounts
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.
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.
Table 3-1 Direct Versus Indirect AutoFS Map Types (Continued)
Direct Map Indirect Map
Mounts in a Direct Map
/
Mounts in an Indirect Map
/
= Automounted Directory