Feedback on NFS Services Administrator's Guide

[Akash Dubey]

Hello all:

We want to enhance the customer experience by designing and developing comprehensive information in such a way that it is quickly accessible and easy to comprehend. In that endeavor, we need your support. We need your feedback on our documentation.

Have you used NFS Services Administrator's Guide? If not, do visit http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/B1031-90053/B1031-90053.html.

Currently, this manual includes information on all the Open Network Computing (ONC) components (NFS, NIS, NSS, AutoFS, CacheFS, and so on). We are planning to restructure NFS Services Administrator's Guide.

Do you think it is a good idea to split up this manual into multiple manuals that have information on closely related components only? For example, instead of having one document that includes all the information, create the following documents:
- NFS, NIS, NFS Security Administrator's Guide
- AutoFS Administrator's Guide
- CacheFS Administrator's Guide

Please indicate your choice as YES or NO, with reasons. If you have any other suggestion, do let us know.

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Akash

[Geoff Wild · Accepted solution]

Actual link is:

http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/B1031-90053/B1031-90053.html

(have to drop the period . :)

I would like to see the docs like so:

NIS Administrator's Guide
NFS Administrator's Guide (includes cachefs/autofs)
Network Services Administrator's Guide (includes Name service, REX )

For example, I don't need NIS to configure NFS.

Also, Name Server Switch is required by multiple application s - not just NFS or NIS.

Rgds...Geoff

[Bill Hassell]

Just a note about the link: there is a trailing . at the end of the string which breaks the URL. This is the correct URL:

http://docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/B1031-90053/B1031-90053.html

Yes, I would defintely go with multiple manuals. ONC is meaningless to most sysadmins (sort of like XPG4, not useful to accomplish the job, perhaps useful on a college exam). NFS is basically the Network File System with options like AutoFS and CacheFS.

- I would make a separate manual for NIS/NIS+ as there is virtually relationship between NFS and NIS.

- The nswitch.conf (Name Service Switch) section belongs with the basic networking manual, right along with resolv.conf and /etc/hosts comments. I would never think to look in an NFS manual for these items.

- REX goes in the same basic networking section as the other 'r' commands rcp remsh rlogin.

[Todd Whitcher]

I pretty much have always hated the name of the manual because users dont know it has NIS NIS + included.

In my opinion, since NFS,cachefs,Autofs,NIS,NIS+are all part of the ONC suite they should be maintained in the same manual. Less places to look.

Applications like NIS/NIS+ are married w/ the NFS application since NFS application uses tha maps that NIS/NIS+ provide...rpc,services, protocols, automounter maps etc. So to me it makes sense to keep those in the same place. A mention of the nsswitch.conf is important also, in the t-shooting section.

[R. Sri Ram Kishore_1]

Hi Akash,

Truly, a great initiative!

I think it's a good idea to separate NIS and NFS. Though they all are components of ONC, as Geoff said, you don't need NIS to configure NFS. But you could provide a link to the NFS doc from the NIS one. Also, you could have a "Security" section in both these manuals and cover the info there.

Also, is there a separate developer's or programmer's guide for RPC and NIS+? If not, you might want to have one. Do take a look at Sun's "ONC+ Developer's Guide" at:
http://docs.sun.com/db/doc/805-7224?q=onc

HTH.

Regards,
Sri Ram