NSCD(1M)NSCD(1M)NAME
nscd - name service cache daemon
SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/nscd [-f configuration-file] [-g] [-e cachename, yes
| no] [-i cachename]
DESCRIPTION
The nscd daemon is a process that provides a cache for most name ser‐
vice requests. The default configuration-file /etc/nscd.conf determines
the behavior of the cache daemon. See nscd.conf(4).
nscd provides caching for the passwd(4), group(4), hosts(4), ipn‐
odes(4), exec_attr(4), prof_attr(4), user_attr(4), ethers(4), rpc(4),
protocols(4), networks(4), bootparams(4), audit_user(4), auth_attr(4),
services(4), netmasks(4), printers(4), project(4) databases through
standard libc interfaces, such as gethostbyname(3NSL), getipnodeby‐
name(3SOCKET), gethostbyaddr(3NSL), and others. Each cache has a sepa‐
rate time-to-live for its data; modifying the local database
(/etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf, and so forth) causes that cache to
become invalidated upon the next call to nscd. The shadow file is
specifically not cached. getspnam(3C) calls remain uncached as a
result.
nscd also acts as its own administration tool. If an instance of nscd
is already running, commands are passed to the running version trans‐
parently.
When running with per-user lookups enabled (see nscd.conf(4)), nscd
forks one and only one child process (that is, a per-user nscd) on
behalf of the user making the request. The per-user nscd will use the
credentials of the user to open a per-user connection to the name
repository configured for the per-user style of lookups. The lookup
will be performed in the child process. The results are cached in the
process and are available only to the same user. The caches are managed
exactly the same as the main nscd daemon manages its own caches. Subse‐
quent requests from the user will be handled by that per-user nscd
until it terminates. The per-user nscd uses a configurable inactivity
time-to-live (TTL) value and terminates itself after the inactivity TTL
expires.
The maximum number of per-user nscds that can be created by the main
nscd is configurable (see nscd.conf(4)). After the maximum number of
them are created, the main nscd will use an LRU algorithm to terminate
less active child nscds as needed.
The main nscd daemon creates, monitors, and manages all the child
nscds. It creates a user's own nscd upon receiving the user's first
per-user lookup. When the nscd daemon is started, if per-user lookups
are enabled, it checks to ensure all conditions are met before getting
ready to create a per-user nscd. When the daemon is stopped, it termi‐
nates all the per-user nscds under its control.
Per-user nscds use the same configuration as the main nscd. They read
and use the same default configuration file or the one specified with
the -f command line option. Once the configuration is read, the per-
user nscd will use it for its entire lifetime.
OPTIONS
Several of the options described below require a cachename specifica‐
tion. Supported values for cachename are: passwd, group, hosts, ipn‐
odes, exec_attr, prof_attr, user_attr, ethers, rpc, protocols, net‐
works, bootparams, audit_user, auth_attr, services, netmasks, printers,
and project.
-f configuration-file
Causes nscd to read its configuration data from the specified file.
-g
Prints current configuration and statistics to standard output.
This is the only option executable by non-root users.
-e cachename, yes|no
Enables or disables the specified cache.
-i cachename
Invalidate the specified cache.
EXAMPLES
Example 1 Stopping and restarting the nscd daemon.
example# svcadm disable system/name-service-cache
example# svcadm enable system/name-service-cache
FILES
/etc/nscd.conf
Determines athe behavior of the cache daemon
SEE ALSOsvcs(1), svcadm(1M), getspnam(3C), gethostbyname(3NSL), getipnodeby‐
name(3SOCKET), audit_user(4), auth_attr(4), bootparams(4), ethers(4),
exec_attr(4), group(4), hosts(4), netmasks(4), networks(4),
nscd.conf(4), nsswitch.conf(4), passwd(4), printers(4), prof_attr(4),
project(4), protocols(4), rpc(4), services(4), user_attr(4),
attributes(5)NOTES
The output from the -g option to nscd is subject to change. Do not rely
upon it as a programming interface.
The nscd service is managed by the service management facility, smf(5),
under the service identifier:
svc:/system/name-service-cache
Administrative actions on this service, such as enabling, disabling, or
requesting restart, can be performed using svcadm(1M). The service's
status can be queried using the svcs(1) command.
Sep 14, 2006 NSCD(1M)
