Networking Guide
Chapter 7, Configuring the Network Information Service (NIS)

Synchronizing servers

Synchronizing servers

If you recall from ``Using cron to propagate maps'', you can run ypxfr from a crontab file to update maps on a regular schedule. This should be set up to ensure that all NIS servers within an NIS domain are synchronized (using the same map, the most current one). The schedule with which a map is updated will depend on how frequently the map is expected to change.

If the frequency of updates to a map changes, change the frequency with which the map is updated by the crontab file. The example files provided are set up to group updates in the same time frequency. To change the frequency with which a map is updated, move its ypxfr entry to a crontab file with a frequency closer to that needed or create a new crontab file if an existing one does not fit.

For example, the following crontab entry will update a map once a day:

   0    0    *    *    *    /etc/yp/ypxfr1pdy
To have cron update the map twice a day instead of once a day, change the map's crontab entry to read as follows:
   0    0,12 *    *    *    /etc/yp/ypxfr2pdy

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