System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (FNS and NIS+)

Enterprise Root and Users

Users can be named relative to

An organizational unit
The enterprise root

Users named relative to the enterprise root are the same as users named relative to the top organizational unit. Given an organization name, you can compose a name for its username context by using one of the namespace identifiers, user or _user. Thus, if orgunit/east.sales names an organization, then orgunit/east.sales/user/hirokani names a user hirokani in the east.sales organizational unit.

The following objects can be named relative to a user name:
Services associated with the user
The user's files

These objects are named by composing the user's name with the namespace identifier of the target object's namespace and the name of the target object. For example, the name user/sophia/service/calendar names the calendar for the user sophia. (See "User Namespace" and "Enterprise Root and Users" for more information on the user namespace and naming objects relative to users.)

Enterprise Root and Hosts

Hosts can be named relative to

An organizational unit
The enterprise root

Hosts named relative to the enterprise root are the same as hosts named relative to the top organizational unit. Given an organization name, you can compose a name for its hostname context by appending one of the namespace identifiers, host or _host. Thus if orgunit/west.sales names an organization, the name org/west.sales/host/altair names a machine altair in the west.sales organizational unit.

The following objects can be named relative to a host name:
Services associated with the host
Files exported by the host

These objects are named by composing the host name with the namespace identifier of the target object's namespace and the name of the target object. For example, the name host/sirius/fs/release names the file directory release being exported by the machine sirius. (See "Host Namespace" and "Composing Names Relative to Hosts" for more information on the host namespace and naming objects relative to hosts.)

Enterprise Root and Services

A service can be named relative to

An organizational unit
The enterprise root
A user
A host
A site

Services named relative to the enterprise root are the same as services named relative to the top organizational unit.

A service context is named by using the namespace identifiers service or _service, relative to the organization, site, user, or host with which it is associated. For example, if orgunit/corp.finance names an organizational unit, then orgunit/corp.finance/service/calendar names the calendar service of the organizational unit corp.finance. (See "Service Namespace" and "Composing Names Relative to Services and Files" for more information on the user namespace and naming objects relative to users.)

FNS does not restrict the types of bindings in the service namespace. Applications can create contexts of a type other than service contexts and bind them in the service namespace.

FNS supports the creation of generic contexts in the service context. A generic context is similar to a service context except that a generic context has an application-determined reference type. All other properties of a generic context are the same as a service context.

For example, a company named World Intrinsic Designs Corp (WIDC), reserves the name extcomm in the service namespace to refer to a generic context for adding bindings related to its external communications line of products. The context bound to extcomm is a generic context, with reference type WIDC_comm. The only difference between this context and a service context is that this context has a different reference type.

Service names should be registered with Sun Microsystems, Inc., as directed in "Service Name and Reference Registration".

Enterprise Root and Files

A file namespace can be named relative to

The enterprise root
An organizational unit
A user
A host
A site

Files named relative to the enterprise root are the same as files named relative to the top organizational unit. A file context is named by using the namespace identifiers fs or _fs, relative to the organization, site, user, or host with which it is associated. For example, if orgunit/accountspayable.finance names an organizational unit, then the name user/jsmith/fs/report96.doc names her file report96.doc. The file service of the user defaults to her home directory, as specified in the NIS+ passwd table. (See "File Namespace" for more information on the user namespace.)

There can be no other type of context subordinate to a file system.

Enterprise Root and Printers

The printer context is an extension of XFN policies.

A printer namespace can be named in the service context. A printer context is named by using the namespace identifier, printer, in the service context relative to

An organizational unit
A user
A host
A site

For example, if org/east.sales names an organizational unit, then org/eastsales/service/printer names the printer service of the organizational unit east.sales. Thus, an individual printer named lp1 would be identified as: org/east.sales/service/printer/lp1.

There can be no other type of context subordinate to a printer.


25. Federated Naming Service (FNS) Enterprise Root Enterprise Root Subordinate Contexts Enterprise Root and Sites


	Enterprise Root and Users Users can be named relative to An organizational unit The enterprise root Users named relative to the enterprise root are the same as users named relative to the top organizational unit. Given an organization name, you can compose a name for its `username` context by using one of the namespace identifiers, `user` or `_user`. Thus, if `orgunit/east.sales` names an organization, then `orgunit/east.sales/user/hirokani` names a user `hirokani` in the `east.sales` organizational unit. The following objects can be named relative to a user name: Services associated with the user The user's files These objects are named by composing the user's name with the namespace identifier of the target object's namespace and the name of the target object. For example, the name `user/sophia/service/calendar` names the calendar for the user `sophia`. (See "User Namespace" and "Enterprise Root and Users" for more information on the user namespace and naming objects relative to users.) Enterprise Root and Hosts Hosts can be named relative to An organizational unit The enterprise root Hosts named relative to the enterprise root are the same as hosts named relative to the top organizational unit. Given an organization name, you can compose a name for its `hostname` context by appending one of the namespace identifiers, `host` or `_host`. Thus if `orgunit/west.sales` names an organization, the name `org/west.sales/host/altair` names a machine `altair` in the `west.sales` organizational unit. The following objects can be named relative to a host name: Services associated with the host Files exported by the host These objects are named by composing the host name with the namespace identifier of the target object's namespace and the name of the target object. For example, the name `host/sirius/fs/release` names the file directory `release` being exported by the machine `sirius`. (See "Host Namespace" and "Composing Names Relative to Hosts" for more information on the host namespace and naming objects relative to hosts.) Enterprise Root and Services A service can be named relative to An organizational unit The enterprise root A user A host A site Services named relative to the enterprise root are the same as services named relative to the top organizational unit. A service context is named by using the namespace identifiers `service` or `_service`, relative to the organization, site, user, or host with which it is associated. For example, if `orgunit/corp.finance` names an organizational unit, then `orgunit/corp.finance/service/calendar` names the `calendar` service of the organizational unit `corp.finance`. (See "Service Namespace" and "Composing Names Relative to Services and Files" for more information on the user namespace and naming objects relative to users.) FNS does not restrict the types of bindings in the service namespace. Applications can create contexts of a type other than service contexts and bind them in the service namespace. FNS supports the creation of generic contexts in the service context. A generic context is similar to a service context except that a generic context has an application-determined reference type. All other properties of a generic context are the same as a service context. For example, a company named World Intrinsic Designs Corp (WIDC), reserves the name `extcomm` in the service namespace to refer to a generic context for adding bindings related to its external communications line of products. The context bound to `extcomm` is a generic context, with reference type `WIDC_comm`. The only difference between this context and a service context is that this context has a different reference type. Service names should be registered with Sun Microsystems, Inc., as directed in "Service Name and Reference Registration". Enterprise Root and Files A file namespace can be named relative to The enterprise root An organizational unit A user A host A site Files named relative to the enterprise root are the same as files named relative to the top organizational unit. A file context is named by using the namespace identifiers `fs` or `_fs`, relative to the organization, site, user, or host with which it is associated. For example, if `orgunit/accountspayable.finance` names an organizational unit, then the name `user/jsmith/fs/report96.doc` names her file `report96.doc`. The file service of the user defaults to her home directory, as specified in the NIS+ `passwd` table. (See "File Namespace" for more information on the user namespace.) There can be no other type of context subordinate to a file system. Enterprise Root and Printers The printer context is an extension of XFN policies. A printer namespace can be named in the service context. A printer context is named by using the namespace identifier, `printer`, in the service context relative to An organizational unit A user A host A site For example, if `org/east.sales` names an organizational unit, then `org/eastsales/service/printer` names the printer service of the organizational unit `east.sales`. Thus, an individual printer named `lp1` would be identified as: `org/east.sales/service/printer/lp1`. There can be no other type of context subordinate to a printer.