Files-Based naming files
Files refers to the naming files normally found in a machine's /etc directory. These machine-based files contain UNIX user and password information, host information, mail aliases, and so forth. They also support Solaris-specific data such as the automount maps.
Under a files-based naming system, FNS context and attribute data is stored in files. These FNS files are stored in machine's /var/fn directory. (The /var/fn directory does not have to be on each machine, it could be exported from an NFS file server.)
Under a files naming system, you use FNS commands to work with the information in FNS files.
Global Naming Services
FNS also supports federating NIS+ and NIS with DNS and X.500. This means that you can connect enterprise level namespaces with global namespaces to make the enterprise objects accessible in the global scope.
FNS currently supports the following global naming services:
DNS
X.500 (via DAP or LDAP)
FNS Naming Policies
FNS defines naming policies so that users and applications can depend on and use the shared namespace.
Within an enterprise, there are namespaces for organizational units, sites, hosts, users, files and services, referred to by the names orgunit, site, host, user, fs (for file system), and service. These namespaces can also be named by preceding each name with an underscore (_). For example, host and _host are considered identical.
Table 25-1 summarizes the FNS policies for enterprise-level namespaces.
Table 25-1 FNS Policy Summary
Context Type | Subordinate Contexts | Parent Contexts |
|---|---|---|
orgunit _orgunit | site user host fs service | enterprise root |
site _site | user host fs service | enterprise root orgunit |
user _user | service fs | enterprise root orgunit |
host _host | service fs | enterprise root orgunit |
service _service | Printer and other applications | enterprise root orgunit site user host |
fs _fs(file system) | (none) | enterprise rootorgunit site user host |
Organization Names
The binding of an FNS orgunit is determined by the underlying naming service:
Under NIS+, an organizational unit corresponds to an NIS+ domain or subdomain. For example, assume that the NIS+ root domain is doc.com. and sales is a subdomain of doc.com. Then, the FNS names org/sales.doc.com. and org/sales both refer to the organizational unit corresponding to the NIS+ domain sales.doc.com. (Note the trailing dot in sales.doc.com.which is required for fully qualified NIS+ names.)
Under NIS, an organizational unit is the NIS domain which is always identified by the FNS name org// or org/domainname where domainname is a fully qualified domain name such as doc.com.. Under NIS, there is no hierarchy in organizational unit names.
Under a files-based naming system, the organizational unit is the system which is always identified by the FNS name org//.
The types of objects that may be named relative to an organizational unit name are: user, host, service, fs, and site. For example:
org/sales/site/conference1.bldg-6 names a conference room conference1 located in building #6 of the site associated with the organizational unit sales. In this example, if org/sales corresponds to sales.doc.com., another way to name this object would be: org/sales.doc.com./site/conference1.bldg-6 (note the trailing dot in sales.doc.com.)
org/finance/user/mjones names a user mjones in the organizational unit finance.
org/finance/host/inmail names a machine inmail belonging to the organizational unit finance.
org/accounts.finance/fs/pub/reports/FY92-124 names a file pub/reports/FY92-124 belonging to the organizational unit accounts.finance.
org/accounts.finance/service/calendar names the calendar service of the organizational unit accounts.finance. This might manage the meeting schedules of the organizational unit.
Site Names
Site names are created as needed. The types of objects that may be named relative to a site name are: user, host, service and fs. For example:
site/alameda/user/mjones names a user mjones at the site alameda.
site/alameda/host/sirius names a machine sirius at the site alameda.
site/alameda/service/printer/Sparc-2 names the printer Sparc-2 at the site alameda.
site/alameda/fs/usr/dist names a file directory usr/dist available in the site alameda.
User Names
User names correspond to names in the corresponding passwd table in NIS+, the passwd map in NIS, or the /etc/passwd file under files. A user's file context is obtained from his or her passwd entry.
The types of objects that may be named relative to a user name are: service, and fs. For example:
user/chou/service/fax names the fax service of the user chou.
user/esperanza/fs/projects/conf96.doc names the file conf96.doc in the projects subdirectory of the user esperanza's file system.
Host Names
Host names correspond to names in the corresponding hosts table in NIS+, the hosts map in NIS, or the /etc/hosts file under files. The host's file context corresponds to the files systems exported by the host.
The types of objects that may be named relative to a host name are: service, and fs. For example: