NDBM(7P)							      NDBM(7P)

NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     ndbm - local name service database

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     /var/ns/lib/libns_ndbm.so

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     The ndbm client library fetches name service data out of an ndbm(3B)
     format database file on the local host.  This library is meant to be used
     only by the nsd(1M) daemon	to efficiently access local name service data.

     The library /var/ns/lib/libns_ndbm.so is opened by	the nsd(1M) daemon
     when ndbm is listed as the	protocol for some map in a nsswitch.conf file.

     The library contains code to fetch	data from a local ndbm file and
     present it	as lines from the configuration	file from which	it came.  The
     nsd daemon	then presents that data	in the filesystem mounted under	/ns.

     Extended attributes in the	nsswitch.conf file can be used to control the
     behavior of the ndbm library.  Extended attributes	are simply lists of
     key/value pairs attached to each object in	the nsd	filesystem.  The
     attributes	supported in this library are:

     domain
	  This is the domainname given as a parameter to the remote name
	  server.  This	attribute is typically inherited from the daemon
	  depending on the nsswitch.conf file that is being read.  Given the
	  configuration	file /var/ns/domains/DOMAINNAME/nsswitch.conf the
	  attribute "domain" is	set to DOMAINNAME.  This attribute controls
	  which	file is	used to	supply the requested information.  Given a
	  domain DOMAINNAME the	library	would open the file
	  /var/ns/domains/DOMAINNAME/{table.dir,table.pag}.  If	the domain
	  attribute is unset then the file /etc/{table.dir,table.pag} would be
	  used.	 See the information about the table attribute below.  A
	  client system	can be a member	of multiple domains by including
	  multiple instances of	the ndbm keyword in the	nsswitch.conf file
	  like:
	       hosts: ndbm(domain=engr)	ndbm(domain=corp)

     table
	  The table attribute is typically inherited from the daemon based on
	  the line from	which this entry occurs	in the nsswitch.conf file.  In
	  the above example the	table attribute	would be set to	hosts.byname
	  or hosts.byaddr depending on the context of the request.  This
	  attribute is used as the file	name containing	the ndbm data. Ndbm
	  databases are	made up	of two files, a	directory file which has a
	  ".dir" extension and a data file which has a ".pag" extension.  For
	  the hosts.byname map in the default domain the files
	  /etc/hosts.byname.dir	and /etc/hosts.byname.pag would	be opened and
	  searched.





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NDBM(7P)							      NDBM(7P)



     key  The key attribute is used to fetch the data from the ndbm(3B)
	  database.  It	is set by the nsd(1M) daemon, and is used without
	  alteration.

     file The file attribute overrides the domain and table attributes to set
	  the name of the file to be opened.  If the file begins with a
	  leading '/' then that	file is	simply opened.	If not,	then the
	  contents of this attribute are appended to the directory name	--
	  either /etc/ for the default domain, or /var/ns/domains/DOMAINNAME/
	  when the domain attribute is set.  The file should not have any
	  extension; the ".dir"	and ".pag" are automatically appended when
	  opening the files.

     null_extend_key
	  The null_extend_key attribute	specifies that the null	character
	  which	terminates the key is really part of the key.  Some
	  applications (such as	sendmail) have historically included the null
	  in the key so	this attribute provides	backward compatibility with
	  the old behavior.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /var/ns/lib/libns_ndbm.so

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     nsd(1M), nsswitch.conf(4)
     IRIX Admin: Networking and	Mail


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