Quatrième de couverture
What are NFS and NIS, and why do you need to manage them?
At many installations, the Network File system (NFS) is the "glue" that holds together large, diverse collections of computers. It provides transparent access to files on many different computers using many different operating systems, from personal computers to mainframes. Using NFS, you can access files across the network as if they were your own. However, NFS is usually a "black box" for most users and administrators. This book shows you what's in the box : how to plan a network file system, how to set it up, how to optimize its performance, how to plug security holes, and how to solve common problems like distributed mail management. It also discusses a number of special topics that you won't find elsewhere, including the NFS "automounter" (a facility for mounting and dismounting file systems as they are used) and the widely-used PC-NFS. A number of books provide either a theoretical basis for NFS or simplified discussions of how to set up your network. This is the only book we know that covers NFS in depth. It links theory and practice, showing you in detail how to get the most out of your network.
If you have worked with a network, you are well aware that the complexity of managing a network increases much faster than the number of nodes. This book shows you how to use the Network Information System (formerly called "Yellow Pages") to reduce the overhead of network administration. NIS provides a distributed database service that simplifies management of the most important administrative files, like the password file and the hosts file. Without NIS, making a simple administrative change requires modifying these files on every system in the network. Once NIS is running, you can modify a single set of files on a "master server," and propagate your changes to the rest of the network. This book also tells you how to use NIS to develop your own distributed database applications, ranging from the simple (like an automated phone list) to the complex (a stock quotation service that uses an NIS database of "licensed" users).
This book provides the only comprehensive discussion of NFS and NIS available anywhere. If you are managing a network of UNIX systems, or are thinking of setting up a UNIR network, you can't afford to overlook it.
Présentation de l'éditeur
This text is intended for system administrators who need to set up or manage a network filesystem installation. NFS (Network Filesystem) is probably running at any site that has two or more UNIX systems. NIS (Network Information System) is a distributed database used to manage a network of computers. This guide should be useful for anyone interested in UNIX networking.
Biographie de l'auteur
Hal Stern is a technical consultant with Sun Microsystems, where he specializes in networking, performance tuning, and kernel hacking. Hal earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Princeton University in 1984. Before joining Sun, Hal was a member of the technical staff at Polygen Corporation, developing UNIX-based molecular modelling and chemical information system products. Hal also worked on the Massive Memory Machine project as a member of the Research Staff in Princeton University's Department of Computer Science. His interests include large installation system administration, virtual memory management systems, performance, local and wide-area networking, interactive graphics, applications in financial services, cosmology, and the history of science. Hal is active in the Sun User's Group and has served on the advisory trustee board of the Princeton Broadcasting Service for seven years. Hal and his wife Toby live in Burlington, Massachusetts. At home, Hal enjoys carpentry, jazz music, cooking, and watching the stock market.
