Using the NFS automounter

Writing an indirect map

Each entry in an indirect map has the syntax

key [mount-options] location

where key is the name (not the full pathname) of the directory that will be used as the mount point; mount-options is a comma-separated list of options that regulates the mount; and location is the location of the resource, specified as server:pathname.

Once the key is obtained by the automounter, it is appended to the mount point associated with it either on the command line or in the master map.

For an illustration of indirect map files in use, see ``Example: indirect map''.

Example: indirect map

For example, suppose one of the entries in the master map reads:

   /usr/reports /etc/reportmap -rw,intr,secure

Here, /etc/reportmap is the name of the indirect map that lists the remote resources to be mounted under /usr/reports.

Assume that the following map is the master map on our system.

   /home         /etc/indirect.map
   /-            /etc/direct.map

The indirect map has been specified as being mounted on /home, and the indirect map has the following entries:

   #key      mount-options   location
   willow    -rw             willow:/home/willow
   cypress   -rw             cypress:/home/cypress
   poplar                    poplar:/home/poplar
   pine                      pine:/export/pine
   apple                     apple:/export/home
   ivy                       ivy:/home/ivy
   peach     -rw,nosuid      peach:/export/home

Assume that this map resides on host oak. If the login laura exists on the machine oak, and her home directory is specified as /home/willow/laura, every time user laura logs into the system oak, the automounter will mount the resource specified in the indirect map (willow:/home/willow). If the directory laura exists on the remote system under /home/willow, user laura will be in her home directory. Thus, when she logs off (and if no one else is using this resource), the resource will be unmounted automatically, after the specified timeout interval (the default is 5 minutes).

NOTE: Any option in the indirect map overrides all options specified in the master map or on the command line.