NAME

nis_server, nis_mkdir, nis_rmdir, nis_servstate, nis_stats, nis_getservlist, nis_freeservlist, nis_freetags − miscellaneous NIS+ functions

SYNOPSIS

cc [ flag... ] file... −lnsl [ library... ]

#include <rpcsvc/nis.h>

nis_error nis_mkdir(const nis_name dirname, const nis_server ∗machine);

nis_error nis_rmdir(const nis_name dirname, const nis_server ∗machine);

nis_error nis_servstate(const nis_server ∗machine, const nis_tag ∗tags,

const int numtags, nis_tag ∗∗result);

nis_error nis_stats(const nis_server ∗machine, const nis_tag ∗tags, const int numtags,

nis_tag ∗∗result);

void nis_freetags(nis_tag ∗tags, const int numtags);

nis_server ∗∗nis_getservlist(const nis_name dirname);

void nis_freeservlist(nis_server ∗∗machines);

MT-LEVEL

MT-Safe

DESCRIPTION

These functions provide a variety of services for NIS+ applications. 

nis_mkdir() is used to create the necessary databases to support NIS+ service for a directory, dirname, on a server, machine. If this operation is successful, it means that the directory object describing dirname has been updated to reflect that server machine is serving the named directory. For a description of the nis_server structure, refer to nis_objects(3N). 

nis_rmdir() is used to delete the directory from the specified machine.  The machine parameter cannot be NULL.  For a description of the nis_server structure, refer to nis_objects(3N). 

nis_servstate() is used to set and read the various state variables of the NIS+ servers.  In particular the internal debugging state and security levels of the servers may be set and queried. 

The other use for nis_servstate() is to flush internal caches that are out of date.  The service maintains two caches to enhance performance, one for directory objects and the other for group objects.  Using the TAG_GCACHE and/or the TAG_DCACHE tags, will flush these caches.  Normally, the caches will expire objects when their time to live expires, but this function can be used to expire them immediately. 

The nis_stats() function is used to retrieve statistics about how the server is operating.  This includes such information as the number of times the service had to refuse serving a client because it was too busy.  Tracking these statistics can help administrators determine when they need to add additional replicas or to break up a domain into two or more subdomains.  For more information on reading statistics, see nisstat(1M). 

nis_servstate() and nis_stats() use the tag list.  This tag list is a variable length array of nis_tag structures whose length is passed to the function in the numtags parameter.  The set of legal tags are defined in the file <rpcsvc/nis_tags.h> which is included in <rpcsvc/nis.h>.  Because these tags can and do vary between implementations of the NIS+ service, it is best to consult this file for the supported list.  Passing unrecognized tags to a server will result in their tag_value member being set to the string “unknown.” Both of these functions return their results in malloced tag structure, ∗result. If there is an error, ∗result is set to NULL.  The tag_value pointers points to allocated string memory which contains the results.  Use nis_freetags() to free the tag structure. 

nis_getservlist() returns a null terminated list of nis_server structures that represent the list of servers that serve the domain named dirname. Servers from this list can be used when calling functions that require the name of a NIS+ server.  For a description of the nis_server structure, refer to nis_objects(3N).  nis_freeservlist() frees the list of servers returned by nis_getservlist().  Note that this is the only legal way to free that list. 

SEE ALSO

nisstat(1M), nis_names(3N), nis_objects(3N), nis_subr(3N)

Sun Microsystems  —  Last change: 15 Jul 1993