This is Changing-NetInfo-master in view mode; [Up]
Date: Sun 16-Oct-1991 15:58:45 From: foster@beno.CSS.GOV (Glen Foster) Subject: Changing NetInfo master It is not completely obvious to me how to change my NetInfo master from one machine on the network to another. I currently have a master and two clones, I would like for one of the clones to be the master and the current master to be a clone. All the NetInfo servers have the "serves ./network" property/value in their //machines entry, how do they know which one is the "real" master and which are clones? How do I get the beasts to switch without encountering the situation where no NetInfo masters are running and therefore none will boot properly? (I hate it when that happens!) The seemingly obvious method of booting the one I want to be master first does _not_ work. The NETMASTER env. variable in /etc/hostconfig seems only to affect the running of bootpd and bootparamd not whether or not the machine has NetInfo responsibilities. The reason I want to do this is to set up a mailhost. The Network and System Administration manual states that "MailManager dictates that this computer (the mail server) be the master NetInfo server for the network." (pg. 104). This seems to be an assumption made by MailManager which I am reluctant to use in any case since I have already done a great deal of network configuration that conflicts with NeXT's assumptions. Is: - define an "A" record for mailhost in named (and MX for all NeXTs) - name mailhost in NetInfo //machines - ln -s the proper sendmail.cf files - appropriately export and mount /usr/spool/mail (/LocalLibrary is already globally mounted) enough to accomplish this without danger of unbelievably screwing up the system ? (Yes, I have been bitten by NetInfo before.) Please respond by e-mail, I am so far behind in comp.sys.next.sysadmin that I fear I will never catch up. I will summarize and post if interest seems sufficient. Thanks, Glen Foster
Date: Sun 19-Oct-1991 23:07:57 From: eps@futon.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) Subject: Re: Changing NetInfo master In article <50040@seismo.CSS.GOV> foster@beno.CSS.GOV (Glen Foster) writes: >It is not completely obvious to me how to change my NetInfo master >from one machine on the network to another. I currently have a master >and two clones, I would like for one of the clones to be the master >and the current master to be a clone. All the NetInfo servers have the >"serves ./network" property/value in their //machines entry, how do >they know which one is the "real" master and which are clones? Suppose I have three machines: one, two, and three. one is a master, two and three are clones. Each machine will have a serves property for the NetInfo domain, but only one will be listed in the root directory's master property: % niutil -read / / trusted_networks: xxx.xxx.xxx % niutil -read / /machines/one ip_address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx % niutil -read / /machines/two ip_address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx % niutil -read / /machines/three ip_address: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx Two change the master from one to two: # niutil -createprop / / master two/network [Yes, you can also use NetInfoManager to do this] >How do I get the beasts to switch without encountering the situation >where no NetInfo masters are running and therefore none will boot >properly? (I hate it when that happens!) The seemingly obvious method >of booting the one I want to be master first does _not_ work. Correct--the identity of the master is contained in the database, so the boot order is irrelevant. > The >NETMASTER env. variable in /etc/hostconfig seems only to affect the >running of bootpd and bootparamd not whether or not the machine has >NetInfo responsibilities. Also correct. >The reason I want to do this is to set up a mailhost. Danger, danger, Will Robinson! > The Network and >System Administration manual states that "MailManager dictates that >this computer (the mail server) be the master NetInfo server for the >network." (pg. 104). How incredibly bogus! Which machine acts as mailhost (assuming that you actually WANT to do this), should be a COMPLETELY independent choice. > This seems to be an assumption made by >MailManager which I am reluctant to use in any case since I have >already done a great deal of network configuration that conflicts with >NeXT's assumptions. MailMangler is a bogus application. Don't use it. > Is: > >- define an "A" record for mailhost in named (and MX for all NeXTs) There's nothing special about the name "mailhost"--it just happens to be wired into the sample /etc/sendmail/sendmail.subsidiary.cf and /etc/sendmail/sendmail.sharedsubsidiary.cf files. You can change the DR and CR lines to ANYTHING you want in your own sendmail.cf files. >- name mailhost in NetInfo //machines If it's in DNS it doesn't need to be in NetInfo as well--but if it is, ensure that the information is consistent. >- ln -s the proper sendmail.cf files I don't recommend this. If sendmail.cf is a symbolic link, remove it. Copy your favorite template file to sendmail.cf and edit as needed. Then distribute it to your clients. >- appropriately export and mount /usr/spool/mail (/LocalLibrary is > already globally mounted) NeXT says to specify timeo=14,mnttimeo=5 in the clients' mounts; other that that it's exactly what you'd expect. >enough to accomplish this without danger of unbelievably screwing up >the system ? (Yes, I have been bitten by NetInfo before.) This isn't a NetInfo issue, OK? >Please respond by e-mail, I am so far behind in comp.sys.next.sysadmin >that I fear I will never catch up. I will summarize and post if >interest seems sufficient. Sigh. I'll copy this to you in e-mail. -=EPS=-
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Marcel Waldvogel and Netfuture.ch.