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IBM AIX: How to start the automount daemon

Question & Answer


Question

How do I start the automount daemon?
Assumption:

The /etc/auto* files are configured.

Example of /etc/auto_master and /etc/auto_test:
/etc/auto_master
/datafs2      /etc/auto_test

/etc/auto_test   (Indirect map)
testme     -vers=3,soft netcomp7:/datafs/&

Cause

Do not use the 'startsrc -s automountd' command to start the automount daemon.
The 'startsrc -s automountd' command will start automountd but it will not read the auto* maps or create the autofs mount points.
However, it is recommended to use 'stopsrc -s automountd' to stop the automountd daemon.
 

Answer

The correct way to start the automount daemon is by running the /usr/sbin/automount script.
The /usr/sbin/autofsmount entry in the automount script calls the code path where we load the kernel extension and read the maps to setup the autofs mounts.
If the maps are changed you must run '/usr/sbin/automount' to reread the maps.
Example of /usr/sbin/automount to read auto_master and auto_test.

Start automount
# /usr/sbin/automount

# lssrc -s automountd
Subsystem         Group            PID          Status
 automountd       autofs           9043994      active

# ps -ef |grep automount
    root  9043994  3342466   0 13:51:29      -  0:00 /usr/sbin/automountd
The automountd daemon is running.
 
# mount |grep auto
         /etc/auto_test   /datafs2         autofs Apr 16 13:51 ignore
The auto_test file was read and mounted map key /datafs2
 
# mount
  node       mounted        mounted over    vfs       date        options
-------- ---------------  ---------------  ------ ------------ ---------------
         /dev/hd4         /                jfs2   Apr 07 14:23 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd2         /usr             jfs2   Apr 07 14:23 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd9var      /var             jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd3         /tmp             jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd1         /home            jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
        <....>
         /etc/auto_test   /datafs2         autofs Apr 16 13:51 ignore
There hasn't been an attempt to access the nfs filesystem therefore it has not been mounted by automount.
 
# cd /datafs2/testme
Accessed the nfs filesystem 
 
# mount
  node       mounted        mounted over    vfs       date        options
-------- ---------------  ---------------  ------ ------------ ---------------
         /dev/hd4         /                jfs2   Apr 07 14:23 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd2         /usr             jfs2   Apr 07 14:23 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd9var      /var             jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd3         /tmp             jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
         /dev/hd1         /home            jfs2   Apr 07 14:24 rw,log=/dev/hd8
        <....>
         /etc/auto_test   /datafs2         autofs Apr 16 13:51 ignore
netcomp7 /datafs/testme   /datafs2/testme  nfs3   Apr 16 13:53 vers=3,soft   
 

The automount daemon has mounted the nfs filesystem /datafs2/testme from NFS server netcomp7.

The automountd daemon will attempt to unmount /datafs2/testme after 6 - 7 minutes of idle time.

By default /usr/sbin/automount will start on boot up from /etc/rc.nfs if nfs and /etc/auto_master is configured.
## Begin AutoFS startup  ## Do NOT remove
##
if [ -s /etc/auto_master ]; then
    /usr/sbin/automount
fi

##
## End AutoFS startup  ## Do NOT remove
 


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Document Information

Modified date:
17 April 2020

UID

ibm16194811