AutoFS mount timeout value

[Chris Magargee_2]

I have been searching all over the ITRC to see if I can find the definitive answer to where you can set the timeout value, overwriting the default of 600 seconds, for a automounted FS via AutoFS. I need to get confirmation if I found the correct config file or I need to place it somewhere else.

We are running AutoFS on 11.11, patched to the Dec 2006 level. From what I have found so far I can make the following entry in /etc/rc.config.d/nfsconf:

AUTOMOUNT_OPTIONS="-t 300"

After stopping/starting AutoFS the default should be 5 minutes now. In my case I do a /sbin/init.d/nfs.client stop and then a start.

Does this look accurate?

Thanks!
Chris

[Dave Olker]

Hi Chris,

It depends on whether you're using the AutoFS that shipped with HP-UX 11.11 or the Enhanced AutoFS product we released after 11.11. If you're not using the Enhanced AutoFS then I'd strongly urge you to get that installed before you do anything else.

http://software.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=ENHAUTO

Once you install this upgraded version of AutoFS, the default timer will be 10 minutes. If you want to change back to 5 minutes (not sure why you'd want to do this, but if you do) then the above syntax is correct. The "-t" option controls the unmount timer and 300 seconds would be a 5 minute timer.

If you already have AutoFS-managed mounts at the time you change the unmount timer, those mount points likely won't start using the new unmount timer until they've been successfully unmounted and re-mounted by AutoFS.

Again, my main recommendation is to get the Enhanced AutoFS on any of your 11.11 systems running AutoFS. It is far superior to the one we shipped with 11.11.

Regards,

Dave

[Chris Magargee_2]

Wish we could go with the Enhanced AutoFS at this time, but we cannot. This particular OS build with 11.1 is locked down. We are heading that way and have been looking at it, but will not be able to deploy until the end of the year.

For now I am trying to leverage the current AutoFS and was trying to determine where is to adjust the timeout. The 5 minute adjustment was an example.

Thanks!
Chris

[Dave Olker · Accepted solution]

Ok, well even using the original AutoFS on 11.11, the -t option should still be the way to tune the unmount timer. However, the default with that version is 5 minutes. It changes to 10 minutes with the Enhanced AutoFS. I typically recommend customers using a very large unmount timer unless you have lots of NFS servers going up/down frequently.

Dave

[Chris Magargee_2]

Thanks Dave! Points awarded.