NDB(6) NDB(6) NAME ndb - Network database DESCRIPTION The network database consists of the two files /lib/ndb/local and /lib/ndb/global. The files comprise multi-line entries made up of attribute/value pairs of the form attr=value. Each line starting without white space starts a new entry. Lines starting with # are comments. Within entries pairs on the same line bind tighter than pairs on different lines. The program ndb/cs (see ndb(8)) and the library routine ipinfo (see ndb(2)) perform searches for information rela- tive to a particular host. Ndb/cs resolves meta-addresses of the form $attribute by returning the value from the attribute=value most closely related to the resolving host. The attribute-value pair comes from the entry for the sys- tem, its subnet, or its network with the system entry having precedence, subnet next, and network last. A number of attributes are meaningful to programs and thus reserved. They are: sys system name dom Internet domain name ip Internet address ether Ethernet address dk Datakit address bootf file to download for initial bootstrap ipnet Internet network name ipmask Internet network mask ipgw Internet gateway auth authentication server to be used fs file server to be used tcp a TCP service name udp a UDP service name il an IL service name port a TCP, UDP, or IL port number restricted a TCP service that can be called only by ports numbered less that 1024 proto a protocol supported by a host. The pair proto=il is needed by cs (see ndb(8)) in entries for hosts that support the IL protocol. 9P parameters for the 9P file protocol, in particu- lar whether the server authenticates (9P=auth). EXAMPLES An entry for the CPU server, spindle. Page 1 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24) NDB(6) NDB(6) sys = spindle dom=spindle.research.att.com bootf=/mips/9powerboot ip=135.104.117.32 ether=080069020677 dk=nj/astro/spindle proto=il Entries for the network mh-astro-net and its subnets. ipnet=mh-astro-net ip=135.104.0.0 ipmask=255.255.255.0 fs=bootes.research.att.com ipgw=r70.research.att.com auth=p9auth.research.att.com ipnet=unix-room ip=135.104.117.0 ipgw=135.104.117.1 ipnet=third-floor ip=135.104.51.0 ipgw=135.104.51.1 Mappings between TCP service names and port numbers. tcp=sysmon port=401 tcp=rexec port=512 restricted tcp=9fs port=564 FILES /lib/ndb/local first database file searched /lib/ndb/global second database file searched SEE ALSO dial(2), ndb(2), ndb(8), bootp(8), ipconfig(8), con(1), Page 2 Plan 9 (printed 12/21/24)