Mount point information in the Auto.mvfs file

The entry added to the auto.master file associates the specific mount point path name with a map file that contains the supporting details for autofs to mount the VOBs. The automounter supports several different types of maps, and for VOB mounts an executable program map that can be used as a template is included. This is a script coded to the interface that the automounter specifies. The script accesses details about the VOBs from the HCL VersionVault registry to provide the information that autofs uses to mount the VOB. In accordance with the general automounter implementation, it is also possible to use a direct or indirect map for VOBs. To use a direct or indirect map, you must create the map manually. You must also include specific entries for all VOBs that use the automount-configured VOB root pathname. Because this map must be updated for any newly created VOBs, for best results use the executable map that will find your VOB tags automatically by accessing the VersionVault registry.

The auto.mvfs template is found in this folder: versionvault-install-dir/etc/auto.mvfs. The administrator must copy this file into the /etc directory and ensure that it has execute permission for the root user. You might have to modify this file might to suit the use of the specific site. There are differences in the autofs API on each OS platform, so you cannot copy an auto.mvfs script from one system to another of a different OS.

The template file includes a definition for a VOB_ROOT_PATH variable, and this variable must match the mount point key that is added to the auto.master file. If your site uses more than one path name root for naming VOBs, multiple entries must be added to the auto.master file, each entry naming a separate and distinctly named copy of the auto.mvfs executable program map.

As documented in Public and private VOBs, the default behavior is that both public and private VOBs are automounted. For best results, use this mounting configuration as the default to help avoid the potential access pitfalls that might frustrate users who manage private VOB tag mount-over directories. If you want to override this default, you can override by uncommenting a specific line in the auto.mvfs file. In this case, for best results configure the private VOBs to use a different VOB tag prefix so that the automanager does not manage them.

Example excerpts from an auto.mvfs show possible modifications:

#!/bin/sh
#
# Licensed Materials - Property of HCL
# (C) Copyright HCL Technologies Ltd. 2020.  All Rights Reserved.
#
#
key="$1"
opts="-fstype=mvfs"
#
# This string must match the corresponding string
# for the indirect map in auto.master.
#
VOB_ROOT_PATH=/vobs
… 
mvfs_get_mount_info() {
    vobtag=$1
    dir="${vobtag#"${VOB_PATTERN}"}"

    ${CLEARTOOL} lsvob -long $vobtag |  ${NAWK} -v mopts=${opts} -v mdir="${dir}" -- '
    BEGIN   { ORS=""; private=0 }
        {
          #
          # To prevent the script from allowing private vobs to be automounted,
          # uncomment out the following line.
          # if (/Access: private/)  private=1
          #
          if (/Global path:/) vobdir=$3 }
    END { if (!private) print mdir " " mopts " :" vobdir} '

In accordance with the general automounter implementation, you can use an automount map other than the auto.mvfs executable script. A direct map or indirect map could be created. These must include specific entries for all VOBs references that use the automount-configured VOB root path name.