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

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     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

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     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)

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