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Date:      Tue, 24 Jun 1997 23:42:19 -0400 (EDT)
From:      Chuck Robey <chuckr@glue.umd.edu>
To:        FreeBSD-Hackers <FreeBSD-Hackers@FreeBSD.org>
Subject:   NIS
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.96.970624232816.22918C-100000@Journey2.mat.net>

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I have been reading about NIS, trying to come to grips with it all, but I
haven't been able to com eup with an answer to one last stumbling block.
Maybe someone here knows what I don't ...

I'm trying to figure out a flexible and reliable setup for a small ISP
that has maybe 5 machines.  What I would ideally like is to have a main
server, have the database on that server duplicated on a second machine
just in case the first machine has to go down for maintenance (or some
catastrophe), and the rest of the machines be slaves.  I'm particularly
interested in the passwd map.

What I don't understand is how the passwd maps can get converted into the
passwd file and the mater.passwd file, so they could be duplilcated, both
on the main server and the secondary server.  I think I understand how
yp_mkdb makes the nis maps, but I don't see how the source files for the
maps get updated.  I know this isn't terribly important for files other
than passwd, but it's passwd that I'm interested in.  I want to have the
master.passwd and passwd files on the server right up to date, and the
same files on the backup server fairly close, say, no more than several
hours out of date.  I could just move the files occaisonally from the
server to a backup dir on the slave server, but I don't see how they ever
get built at all on the master.

Clarifying:  I see how the maps gets built on the master, first time, but
once yppasswd changes some user's passwd, then the source files are out of
date.  How do they get updated?

----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
Chuck Robey                 | Interests include any kind of voice or data 
chuckr@eng.umd.edu          | communications topic, C programming, and Unix.
213 Lakeside Drive Apt T-1  |
Greenbelt, MD 20770         | I run Journey2 and picnic, both FreeBSD
(301) 220-2114              | version 3.0 current -- and great FUN!
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------




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