registrar(1M)

NAME
     registrar - IP address update command for NIS hosts data base

SYNOPSIS
     registrar host-file "make hosts"

DESCRIPTION
     registrar, which runs on NIS master only, is a NIS hostname data base
     update program.  A hostname registration request can be sent from either
     yp_host(1M) command, or from the PROM IP address auto-registration
     function.  This requests is initially sent to a rpc daemon process
     rpc.ypupdated(1M).  registrar is invoked indirectly by rpc.ypupdated(1M)
     via an intermediate make file updaters(4).

     The host-file parameter should be the host file that is used in NIS
     database makefile, /var/yp/Makefile.  Usually, it is /etc/hosts.

     registrar knows how to receive the input parameters from
     rpc.ypupdated(1M).  The input parameters tell registrar whether to
     allocate a new IP address, to change the existing hostname entry, or to
     delete the entry, along with the necessary information to service the
     request.

     When adding new hostname entry, there is no authentication checking.  As
     long as the new hostname and the aliases are not yet used, the
     registration request will always be executed.  When changing or deleting
     hostname entry, the NIS master root password has to be passed along with
     the command.

     The new IP address will be selected with the first available address that
     is in the same network/subnet specified in the request.  System
     administrator can, however, mark a specific range in the /etc/hosts for
     address allocation by a special comment line.  The format of this line
     should be

          # registrar start=xxx end=yyy mask=0xzzzzzzzz

     where xxx is the IP address with the smallest local network address in
     the range, yyy is the IP address with largest local network address in
     the range, and zzzzzzzz is the 8-byte hexadecimal mask value.  The xxx
     and yyy must fall into the same network, or subnet if netmask is
     specified.

     There can be several lines of comment for the address allocation for the
     same network or subnet.  The registrar will use the first available
     address by searching through the comment lines sequentially.  In case all
     address ranges described by the comment lines are used, registrar will
     choose the lowest available IP address that is in the same network or
     subnet.
FILES
     /etc/hosts
     /var/yp/updaters

EXAMPLE
     Use

     #registrar start=192.26.1.10 end=192.26.1.20 mask=0xffffff00

     to reserve 192.26.1.10 through 192.26.1.20 for network 192.26.1.

SEE ALSO
     yp_host(1M), updaters(4), ypupdated(1M)