NIS Client Networking - Quiz Explanation

The answers you selected are indicated below, along with text that explains the correct answers.
1. What is the name of the NIS client-side daemon?
Please select the best answer.
  A. ypwhich
  B. yppoll
  C. ypbind
  D. ypmatch
  The correct answer is C. The client-side NIS daemon is called ypbind.
A, B, and D are incorrect because ypwhich, yppoll, and ypmatch all return various information about the NIS server.

2. In order for your computer to use existing NIS servers on your network, which utilities must be running?
Please select the best answer.
  A. ypwhich and ypbind
  B. ypbind and yppoll
  C. ypbind and portmap
  D. portmap and ypwhich
  The correct answer is C. In order for a NIS client to function, both ypbind and portmap must be running.
A, B, and D are incorrect because ypwhich and yppoll need ypbind and portmap to be running already, not vice versa.

3. Which file tells Linux the order of information services to check for various groups of information?
Please select the best answer.
  A. /etc/passwd
  B. /etc/sysconf/network
  C. /etc/yp.conf
  D. /etc/nsswitch.conf
  The correct answer is D. The file /etc/nsswitch.conf governs the order in which Linux checks different services for information.
A is incorrect because /etc/passwd holds user information. B is incorrect because /etc/sysconf/network controls boot-time network activities. C is incorrect because /etc/yp.conf is the main configuration file for NIS, but does not specify when to check NIS.

4. /etc/sysconf/network holds which kind of configuration information?
Please select the best answer.
  A. Boot-time network services
  B. NIS client
  C. Password source
  D. Host aliases
  The correct answer is A. /etc/sysconf/network holds boot-time network services.
B is incorrect because /etc/yp.conf holds the main NIS configuration. C is incorrect because your password source depends on the authentication method you use, but /etc/sysconf/network never holds this information. D is incorrect because host aliases come from many places (/etc/hosts, NIS, DNS), but not from /etc/sysconf/network.