NAME

nisbackup − backup NIS+ directories

SYNOPSIS

nisbackup [ −v ] backup-dir directory ...
nisbackup [ −v ] −a backup-dir

DESCRIPTION

nisbackup backs up a NIS+ directory object on a NIS+ master server. Updates to the NIS+ database will be temporarily disabled while nisbackup is running.  The backup-dir is a UNIX directory that must exist prior to running nisbackup.  The nisbackup command can be used to backup an individual NIS+ directory object or all ( −a ) of the NIS+ directory objects served by a master server.  The NIS+ directory objects being backed up will be placed into subdirectories under the backup-dir directory.  These subdirectories are named according to the NIS+ directory object they contain.  nisbackup operates on individual NIS+ directory objects (for example, org_dir.wiz.com).  This allows an administrator to selectively backup specific directories. 

The rpc.nisd(1M) process must be running on the master server with a stable NIS+ database for nisbackup to complete.  nisbackup will not attempt to correct any corruption in the NIS+ database, so it is important that backups be done regularly as part of the NIS+ administration. 

The first synopsis is used to backup a single NIS+ directory object or a list of NIS+ directory objects. The objects can be partially qualified or fully qualified. The machine on which the command is executing must be the master for the NIS+ directory objects specified. 

The second synopsis will backup all of the NIS+ directory objects that are served by this master. The −a option is the recommended method of backing up a master server, since it will backup all NIS+ directory objects that are served by this master. If this server is a master server for more than one domain, the backup will include NIS+ directories that belong to all of the domains served.  Individual NIS+ directory objects can be selected for restoring from a backup-dir created with the −a option (see nisrestore(1M)). 

OPTIONS

−a Creates a backup of all NIS+ directory objects for which this server is a master. 

−v Verbose option. Additional output will be produced and sent to syslog(3) upon execution of the command (see syslog.conf(4)). 

OPERANDS

backup-dir The directory into which the subdirectories containing the backed up objects are placed. This must be created prior to running nisbackup. 

directory The NIS+ directory object(s) being backed up. 

EXAMPLES

To backup the org_dir NIS+ directory object of the domain foo.com on a master server to a directory named /backup:

master_server# nisbackup /backup org_dir.foo.com. 

To backup the entire NIS+ domain foo.com to a directory named /backup:

master_server# nisbackup /backup foo.com. \
              org_dir.foo.com. groups_dir.foo.com. \
              ctx_dir.foo.com.

To backup an entire NIS+ database to a backup directory named /backup:

master_server# nisbackup −a /backup

EXIT STATUS

0 Successful completion. 

1 An error occurred. 

FILES

/backup-dir/backup_list This ascii file contains a list of all the objects contained in this backup-dir directory. 

/backup-dir/directory-object A subdirectory that is created in the backup-dir that contains the NIS+ directory-object backup. 

/backup-dir/directory-object/data A subdirectory that contains the data files that are part of the NIS+ directory-object backup. 

/backup-dir/directory-object/last.upd This data file contains timestamp information about the directory-object. 

/backup-dir/directory-object/data.dict
A NIS+ data dictionary for all of the objects contained in the NIS+ directory-object backup.

ATTRIBUTES

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

SEE ALSO

nis+(1), nisdefaults(1), nisrm(1), nisrestore(1M), rpc.nisd(1M), syslog(3), xfn(3N), nisfiles(4), syslog.conf(4), attributes(5)

NOTES

The −a option only includes directory objects for which this server is the master. It is possible, but not recommended, to configure a master server as a replica for other domains. The objects belonging to those replicated domains will not be backed up with the −a option. The backup of replicated objects must be run on the master server for those objects. 

Do not use the same backup-dir to backup different master servers. Each master server must have its own backup-dir.

nisbackup will set the rpc.nisd(1M) to read only mode, which will disable updates to the NIS+ database.  This is neccessary to ensure the consistency of the backup.  For this reason, nisbackup should not be run while large numbers of updates are being applied to the NIS+ database. Update utilities such as nisaddent(1M) should not be run simultaneously with nisbackup. 

SunOS 5.6  —  Last change: 3 Jul 1996