LDAP-UX Client Services B.05.00 Administrator's Guide

Figure 1-1 A simplified NIS environment
NIS master server
Map transfers
NIS Client Requests
NIS slave server NIS slave server
NIS client NIS clientNIS client
LDAP-UX Client Services improves on this configuration information sharing. HP-UX account
and configuration information is stored in an LDAP directory, not on the local client system.
Client systems retrieve this shared configuration information across the network from the LDAP
directory, as shown below. LDAP adds greater security, scalability, interoperability with other
applications and platforms, and less network traffic from replica updates.
Figure 1-2 A simplified LDAP-UX Client Services environment
LDAP Client Requests
Updates
LDAP Master
Directory Server
LDAP Directory
Server Replica
LDAP-UX clientLDAP-UX client
LDAP-UX Client Services supports the following name service data: passwd, groups, hosts, rpc,
services, networks, protocols, NIS publickeys, automount, netgroup. For any additional supported
services, see the LDAP-UX Integration B.05.00 Release Notes.
1.1.1 How LDAP-UX Client Services works
LDAP-UX Client Services works by providing back-end services for the authentication mechanism
provided in the Pluggable Authentication Module (PAM), and and by providing a back-end
database for the naming services provided by the Name Service Switch (NSS).
The PAM configuration file /etc/pam.conf defines the security mechanisms that are used for
authenticating users. Its default values provide the customary operation of the system under
both standard HP-UX and trusted systems. It also provides support for controls on individual
users. The NSS configuration file /etc/nsswitch.conf defines LDAP support for the specified
services.
For more information about PAM, see the pam(3) and pam.conf(4) manpages, and the Managing
Systems and Workgroups: A Guide for HP-UX System Administrators document at the following
location:
http://www.hp.com/go/hpux-core-docs (click HP-UX 11i v2)
For information on NSS, see the switch(4) manpage and the "Configuring the Name Service
Switch" chapter in NFS Services Administrator's Guide, available at the following location:
16 Introduction