Add users to a cluster

Problem

You need to add a new user to a cluster of computers that uses Network Information Service (NIS). How do you add the user and get all cluster nodes to recognise that user?

Solution

See Chapter 15 NIS: Network Information Service of the book SuSE Linux Internals for more information on using NIS.

1. Identify which machines in the cluster is a NIS server and login to that machine.
2. Use the command /usr/sbin/adduser to create an account for the new user with a default password.
3. Navigate to /var/yp and issue the command make with the necessary credential.
4. Login as the new user and change her default password to another default password. You can use the program apg to generate strong random default passwords. See this page in the Ubuntu Community Documentation for more information.
5. Send the new user her login credentials and inform her to change her default password during her first login session.