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ypxfr(8)
NAME
  ypxfr - Transfer a Network Information Service (NIS) map from a NIS server
  to the local host

SYNOPSIS
  /var/yp/ypxfr [-a method] -f	[-h host] -d [domain] [-c] [-C tid prog ipadd
  port] mapname

OPTIONS
  -a method
      Specifies that NIS maps are to be stored in one of the following
      formats:

      b	  btree -- Recommended when creating and maintaining very large maps.

      d	  dbm/ndbm -- For backward compatibility.  This is the default.

      h	  hash -- A potentially quicker method for managing small maps.

  -f  Force the transfer to occur even if the version at the MASTER is not
      more recent than the local version.

  -c  Do not send a "Clear current map" request to the local ypserv process.
      This option should be used if ypserv is not running locally at the time
      when ypxfr is running. Otherwise, ypxfr will report that it can not
      talk to the local ypserv, and the transfer will fail.

  -h host
      Get the map from host, regardless of which map is the master.  If host
      is not specified, ypxfr will ask the NIS service for the name of the
      master, and try to get the map from there.  The host option can be a
      name or an IP address in dotted numeric notation.

  -d domain
      Specify a domain other than the default domain.

  -C tid prog ipadd port
      This option is only for use by ypserv.  When ypserv invokes ypxfr, it
      specifies that ypxfr should call back a yppush process at the host with
      IP address ipaddr, registered as program number prog, listening on port
      port, and waiting for a response to transaction tid.

DESCRIPTION
  The ypxfr command moves a NIS map, specified by the mapname  argument, to
  the local host by making use of normal NIS services.	It creates a
  temporary map in the directory /var/yp/domain (which must already exist),
  fills it by enumerating the map's entries, obtains the map parameters
  (master and order number) and loads them into the map. Once ypxfr has
  accomplished these tasks, it deletes any old versions of the map and moves
  the temporary map to the real mapname.

  If ypxfr is run interactively, it writes its output to the terminal.
  However, if it is invoked without a controlling terminal, and if the log
  file /var/cluster/members/{memb}/yp/ypxfr.log exists, it appends all its
  output to that file.	Since ypxfr is most often run from
  /var/spool/cron/crontab/root, or by ypserv, you can use the log file to
  retain a record of what was attempted, and the results.

  For consistency between servers, ypxfr should be run periodically for every
  map in the NIS database. Different maps change at different rates:  the
  services.byname map may not change for months at a time, for instance, and
  may therefore be checked only once a day. It is possible that mail.aliases
  or hosts.byname changes several times per day.  In such a case, it is
  appropriate to check hourly for updates. A cron(8) entry should be used to
  perform periodic updates automatically on NIS server machines only.  Rather
  than having a separate cron entry for each map, commands can be grouped to
  update several maps in a shell script.  Examples (mnemonically named) are
  in /var/yp: ypxfr_1perday, ypxfr_2perday, and ypxfr_1perhour. They can
  serve as models for you to use.

  See ypfiles(4) and ypserv(8) for an overview of NIS.

RESTRICTIONS
  You must use the same database format for each map in a domain. In
  addition, a server serving multiple NIS domains must use the same database
  format for all domains.

  Although a Tru64 UNIX NIS server that takes advantage of btree files will
  be able to store very large maps, NIS slave servers that lack this feature
  might have a much smaller limit on the number of map entries they can
  handle.  It may not be possible to distribute very large maps from a Tru64
  UNIX NIS master server to a slave server that lacks support for very large
  maps.	 NIS clients are not affected by these enhancements.

EXAMPLES
  The following is an example of the ypxfr command used with the btree
  database routine to store NIS maps.

       ypxfr -a b group.byname

FILES
  /var/cluster/members/{memb}/yp/ypxfr.log
      The ypxfr log file. Each cluster member has its own copy.

  /var/yp/ypxfr_1perday
      Script to transfer maps once a day.

  /var/yp/ypxfr_2perday
      Script to transfer maps twice a day.

  /var/yp/ypxfr_1perhour
      Script to transfer maps once an hour.

  /var/spool/cron/crontab/root
      The crontab script.

SEE ALSO
  Commands: cron(8), yppush(8), ypserv(8), ypsetup(8)

  Functions: btree(3), dbm(3), dbopen(3), hash(3), ndbm(3)

  Files: ypfiles(4)

Index for Section 8

Alphabetical listing for Y

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