NDB(6) NDB(6)
NAME
ndb - network data base
SYNOPSIS
/lib/ndb/local
/lib/ndb/inferno
/lib/ndb/dns
/lib/ndb/common
DESCRIPTION
Network configuration data is stored in one or more files in
the directory /lib/ndb, in the attribute data base format
defined by attrdb(6). Most applications that use it start
with /lib/ndb/local by default. That can refer (using a
database entry) to other files that form part of the same
logical database. They are stored in distinct files to
allow different configurations to avoid duplicating data by
sharing some common content. For example, /lib/ndb/common
associates service names with port numbers for Internet pro-
tocols, and /lib/ndb/inferno provides the Inferno-specific
port mapping. A database is automatically reread if any
component file has changed since it was last read (based on
its modification time).
A network database gives particular meaning to the following
attributes:
auth name or address of authentication server
bootf name of the file to send to a device on request
when booting
dns name or address of DNS resolver (see also the
ns attribute below)
dnsdomain domain in which the local host lives (used to
qualify unqualified names)
dom Internet domain name (host or DNS zone)
ether Ethernet address in the form accepted by
ether(2)
fs name or address of file server
il IL service name
infernosite empty-valued attribute that labels default site
parameters
ip Internet address
ipgw name or address of Internet gateway
ipmask Internet network mask
ipnet network or subnetwork name
ipv4proto IPv4 protocol number (see also protocol)
mx mail exchanger
ns name of a DNS name server for an associated dom
port port number for a service
protocol protocol name
Page 1 Plan 9 (printed 12/22/24)
NDB(6) NDB(6)
soa start of area (value is empty if locally
authoritative, or `delegated' if another server
is authoritative)
sys system name (short local name for a host)
tcp TCP service name
udp UDP service name
Internet addresses and masks can be written in any form
accepted by Ip(2). Network applications might use other
attributes of their own, which they document on their own
pages.
Cs(8) interprets a host name of the form $server as refer-
ring to the set of names and addresses that are values of
the attribute server in the network data base. Attributes
in general use include some of those above, and the follow-
ing:
FILESERVER older name for file server fs file server
pop3 mail reading service using the POP3 protocol
PROXY firewall proxy for ftpfs(4)
SIGNER Inferno authentication server running logind(8)
and/or signer(8)
smtp mail delivery gateway using the SMTP protocol
Other such symbolic server names are mentioned in the manual
pages for associated applications.
Dns(8) interprets dns and dnsdomain values in any
infernosite entry, and dom, ip, and ns values more gener-
ally. When resolving a domain name, dns looks first in this
data base to see if there is a dom entry for the name, and
if so, whether there is either an associated ns attribute
giving a name server to ask, or an ip attribute giving the
name's IP address. Failing that, it works up the name hier-
archy looking for name servers to ask. Failing that, it
looks for a dnsdomain entry with dns attributes listing
other resolvers to ask. Bootstrap data is commonly stored
in /lib/ndb/dns; by default it defines the root name
servers:
dom= # root
ns=a.root-servers.net
ns=b.root-servers.net
...
dom=a.root-servers.net ip=198.41.0.4
dom=b.root-servers.net ip=128.9.0.107
...
EXAMPLE
Specify the site's default DNS domain name and resolvers for
dns(8), and a collection of symbolic service names for
Page 2 Plan 9 (printed 12/22/24)
NDB(6) NDB(6)
cs(8):
infernosite=
dnsdomain=vitanuova.com
dns=200.1.1.11
dns=158.152.1.58
dns=158.152.1.43
SIGNER=doppio
FILESERVER=doppio
smtp=doppio
pop3=doppio
PROXY=doppio
GAMES=vivido
IRMSERVER=vivido
FILES
/lib/ndb/*
SEE ALSO
attrdb(2), attrdb(6), bootpd(8), cs(8), dns(8)
Page 3 Plan 9 (printed 12/22/24)