NIS [ Network Information Service ]

                      NIS [ Network Information Service]

The earlier name of NIS was 'Yellow Pages'. But later it gets registered as a TradeMark hence now NIS is used in practice.
In NIS one server is used as a Master server and one is made as a secondary server for precaution when master gets problems.

First check whether the package for NIS is installed on your machine, for that :

# rpm -qa |grep yp*


it needs 3 packages 1) ypserv*
                            2) yptools*
                            3) ypbind*
 
Uses :
 
If we want 10 users to be created on 100 Linux machines each then just create 10 users on NIS server and its /etc/passwd file is shared with those 100 machines. So the work becomes easier.

Step 1 : set the Ip address for machine using : #netconfig or #setup

Stetp 2 : set the Domain Name using : # domainname (domain name)

Make sure that all the machines in the NIS domain must have the same domain name.

The domain name you set was not persistent, it lost when you restart your machine hence to make it persistent enter it into the script which runs every-time when machine starts.
i.e. '/etc/syconfig/network' file
edit it i.e. # vim /etc/sysconfig/network and make changes as

NETWORKING = YES
HOSTNAME = (your host name)
domainname (your domain name)

e.g. domainname classroom.edu
save the file and exit vi mode

restart your machine

STEP NO. 1 & 2 are common to both server and NIS clients.

Set this On NIS CLIENT machine:
 
STEP 3 : edit '/etc/yp.conf ' file and make changes as...

domain (your domain name) broadcast

( e.g domain classroom.edu broadcast)

domain (your domain name) server (your Host name)
(You will get your Ip address and Hostname from '/etc/hosts' file)

ypserver                        (your Host Name)

save and exit

STEP 4 : edit '/etc/nsswitch.conf' file

( this file contains the list of files which the operating system checks for NIS)

make changes as...

a) passwd : nis files
b) shadow : nis files
c)group : nis files
d) hosts : nis files dns

save & exit

STEP 5 : Edit '/etc/hosts' file
add to last line...
(ip address of client machine) (Client Host Name)
(Ip address of server machine) (server Host Name)

save & exit

Thus CLIENT configuration completed here...

Set this On NIS SERVER Machine...

STEP 6 : edit '/etc/hosts' file...
write at last line...

(Ip address of server machine) (server Host Name)

save and exit

The total configuration of NIS is stored at '/var/yp' directory.

Edit '/var/yp/makefile'
the contents of that file are...

1) #B = -b
if you remove this comment using NIS server different clients can access the date through DNS server. Use this option if your are having multiple DNS servers.
2) NOPUSH = true
if you are having single server keep this option 'true'. Because if this is 'true' the Primary server does not send its database to the secondary server. This server pushes its database to the servers whose name & ip addresses are there in the '/var/yp/ypservers' file
3) MINUID = 500
MINGID = 500
this option tells from which number the UID and GID are to be started.
4) NFSNOBODYUID = 65534
NFSNOBODYGID = 65534
5) MERGE_PASSWD = true
it decides whether the 'shadow' file and 'passwd' file is merged into single file or not.
6) MERGE_GROUP = true
it decides whether the 'group' file and 'gshadow' file is merged into single file or not.
7) AWK = /usr/bin/gawk
8) MAKE = /usr/bin/gmake
9) UMASK = umask 066
DONT CHANGE OPTIONS 7, 8, 9. These are used to make database.
10) YPSRCIDR = /etc
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
DONT CHANGE OPTIONS 11 to 15 these variables are created for to know where to get the database files.
After this we only need following options...
GROUP
PASSWD
SHADOW
GSHADOW
ADJUNCT
ALIASES
HOSTS
AUTO_MASTER
AUTO_HOME
AUTO_LOCAL

Keep these options in front of '-all'
So Comment the other options which are not needed or remove them.

Save & exit.
Now Give this command from PRIMARY SERVER only...

# /usr/lib/yp/ypinit -m
( if u dont have secondary NIS server, then press 'ctrl + D' )

if you are having secondary NIS server then give its name here. Its entry will be added directly to '/var/yp/ypservers'. The current list of NIS servers looks like this:

(Host name)
is this correct [y/n : y] Press 'y'

# yum install authconfig-gtk
# service ypserve restart
# service portmap restart
# getsebool -a | grep “yp”
# setsebool allow_ypbind=1

set your domain name again

Now From CLIENT Machine :

# authconfig-tui

or # system-config-authentication

Service NIS will get started...

on client you can ligin as guest...

But to get homedirectory... make settings as....

FORM CLIENT as well as SERVER Machine :
# vim /etc/auto.master
make changes under # /net as
/home/guests /etc/auto.misc --timeout = 60

save and exit

edit '/etc/auto.misc' file

# vim /etc/auto.misc

make changes at last line as...
* -rw,soft,intr 192.168.0.254 :/home/guests/&
save and exit

# service autofs restart

then login into client using
login name : guest2001
passwd : (no password)

It will get home directory.