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NIS is built on the client-server model. Client requests to look up information stored in the NIS maps are serviced by the daemon ypserv(1Mnis) on the NIS server. Communication between clients and the NIS server is provided by the daemon ypbind on both the NIS client and NIS server. Updates to the maps in the database on the NIS server are handled by the daemon ypupdated(1Mnis).
The NIS service is based on information contained in NIS maps. Maps are non-ASCII data files, which usually derive from ASCII configuration files traditionally found in the /etc directory. Each NIS map has a map name that programs use to access it. On a network running NIS, at least one NIS server per domain maintains a set of NIS maps for client hosts in the domain to query.