Managing NFS and NIS: Help for Unix System Administrators

Cross-platform file sharing under Network File System (NFS) is so reliable that in most organizations, it works pretty much unattended. Ditto for the directory services that Network Information System (NIS) provides. Managing NFS and NIS is for people who want to know more about how NFS and NIS do their vital work, and how to make them operate in unusual circumstances. Focused on the Solaris and Linux implementations of NFS and NIS, this book is ideal for the Unix system administrator who's familiar with TCP/IP networking and everyday system administration. The second edition of this book eliminates much of the programming material that appeared in its predecessor and replaces it with information on NFS 3, its support of IPsec and Kerberos security, and its operation under Solaris 8.

This is a blue O'Reilly book, packed to the gunwales with information of interest to people in a hurry to optimize their systems and resolve difficulties. It's easy to locate the passage you need via the index or through the table of contents, and most entries provide a great mix of how-to material (in the form of input-and-output listings) and explanatory text (expert commentary, often with notes on applicable variations). If there's a command, option, or configuration parameter associated with NIS or NFS, you'll find documentation of it here. --David Wall

Topics covered: Network File System (NFS) and Network Information System (NIS) for Unix machines, especially Solaris (through version 8) and Linux (through version 2.2). Auto mounting, security, diskless workstations, and performance tuning are among the many details the authors address.