Multiple machine maintenance

[Philip Edward Lewis]

Hi there.
what is the recommended way to sync password files between serveral
aix boxes?

we have two 4.2.1 boxes and a 4.3.3 box.

Can I just make changes on one master machine and then copy the /etc/
and /etc/security files (passwd,group, etc) (the timing isn't
critical.. this could happen nightly or on demand)

The setup is such that the systems (should) look and function the same
everywhere...(sans hostname stuff, etc) so if the filesystem isn't
native, it's mounted in the same place on the non native machine.

It's a relatively small organization... around 30 accounts or so...
changes are fairly infrequent...

I guess i'm generally interested in how other folks do this in their
enviroments.

If you know of a red/white/blue/purple/etc book or web site i could
read that addresses this issue, point me towards it, I'll do more
reading and go from there.

thanks in advance...

--
be safe.
flip
Verso l'esterno! Verso l'esterno! Deamons di ignoranza.

[Michael Plutt]

Phillip,

The four main files are:

/etc/passwd
/etc/group
/etc/security/passwd
/etc/security/group

If I take all these files and move them from one system to another, it will
work fine from a user perspective, so the short answer is if you come up
with one master set of files, you can take them to any aix box the use the
merged files there.

I would of course, keep backup copies of the originals.

Later,

Michael Plutt
"Philip Edward Lewis" <flip+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote in message
news:200309101836.h8AIaGik016265@smtp6.andrew.cmu. edu...

> Hi there.
> what is the recommended way to sync password files between serveral
> aix boxes?
>
> we have two 4.2.1 boxes and a 4.3.3 box.
>
> Can I just make changes on one master machine and then copy the /etc/
> and /etc/security files (passwd,group, etc) (the timing isn't
> critical.. this could happen nightly or on demand)
>
> The setup is such that the systems (should) look and function the same
> everywhere...(sans hostname stuff, etc) so if the filesystem isn't
> native, it's mounted in the same place on the non native machine.
>
> It's a relatively small organization... around 30 accounts or so...
> changes are fairly infrequent...
>
> I guess i'm generally interested in how other folks do this in their
> enviroments.
>
> If you know of a red/white/blue/purple/etc book or web site i could
> read that addresses this issue, point me towards it, I'll do more
> reading and go from there.
>
> thanks in advance...
>
> --
> be safe.
> flip
> Verso l'esterno! Verso l'esterno! Deamons di ignoranza.
>

[Kent Squires]

I would also include /etc/security/user

sounds like you should be using NIS or NIS+

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 21:18:40 GMT, "Michael Plutt"
<mplutt@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>Phillip,
>
>The four main files are:
>
>/etc/passwd
>/etc/group
>/etc/security/passwd
>/etc/security/group
>
>If I take all these files and move them from one system to another, it will
>work fine from a user perspective, so the short answer is if you come up
>with one master set of files, you can take them to any aix box the use the
>merged files there.
>
>I would of course, keep backup copies of the originals.
>
>Later,
>
>Michael Plutt
>"Philip Edward Lewis" <flip+@andrew.cmu.edu> wrote in message
>news:200309101836.h8AIaGik016265@smtp6.andrew.cmu .edu...

>> Hi there.
>> what is the recommended way to sync password files between serveral
>> aix boxes?
>>
>> we have two 4.2.1 boxes and a 4.3.3 box.
>>
>> Can I just make changes on one master machine and then copy the /etc/
>> and /etc/security files (passwd,group, etc) (the timing isn't
>> critical.. this could happen nightly or on demand)
>>
>> The setup is such that the systems (should) look and function the same
>> everywhere...(sans hostname stuff, etc) so if the filesystem isn't
>> native, it's mounted in the same place on the non native machine.
>>
>> It's a relatively small organization... around 30 accounts or so...
>> changes are fairly infrequent...
>>
>> I guess i'm generally interested in how other folks do this in their
>> enviroments.
>>
>> If you know of a red/white/blue/purple/etc book or web site i could
>> read that addresses this issue, point me towards it, I'll do more
>> reading and go from there.
>>
>> thanks in advance...
>>
>> --
>> be safe.
>> flip
>> Verso l'esterno! Verso l'esterno! Deamons di ignoranza.
>>

>

[Philip Edward Lewis]

"Michael Plutt" <mplutt@sbcglobal.net> writes:

>The four main files are:
>/etc/passwd [...] /etc/security/group

I was fairly certain you could do this... wanted to make sure.

Kent Squires <ksquires@geeks.org> writes:

>I would also include /etc/security/user
>sounds like you should be using NIS or NIS+

I'll look into that... thanks!

--
be safe.
flip
Verso l'esterno! Verso l'esterno! Deamons di ignoranza.

[Philip Edward Lewis]

on another related note....

say i have:
/usr/local/bin/.aix4.3.3/newls
and
/usr/local/bin/.aix4.2.1/newls

i'd like to do something like:


ln -s '/usr/local/bin/.$SYS/newls' /usr/local/bin/newls

so that it does what it looks like it should do.
(assume /etc/enviroment takes care of setting SYS)

On the workstations at CMU, you can do this using the form:
ln -s /usr/local/bin/.@sys/newls

but it doesn't seem to be working for us here... I assume it's
something built into CMU
any thoughts?

(assuming we'd like to share a single /usr/local between all systems)

The only way I know to do it now is to make a /usr/local tree for each
system level and mount that where appropriate or having a $PATH which
includes say :/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/bin/.$SYS:

Thoughts?

--
be safe.
flip
Verso l'esterno! Verso l'esterno! Deamons di ignoranza.