nscd speedup

["Derek T. Yarnell" <derek cs umd edu>]

Has anyone fiddled with the nscd.conf values to try to get nscd perform
better?

I am seeing very slow responses of commands like 'w',

If you strace them they are constantly trying to get do this, looking
like they are hanging on the .nscd_socket read/write.

socket(PF_FILE, SOCK_STREAM, 0)         = 4
connect(4, {sa_family=AF_FILE, path="/var/run/.nscd_socket"}, 110) = 0
writev(4, [{"\2\0\0\0\1\0\0\0\6\0\0\0", 12}, {"41141\0", 6}], 2) = 18
read(4,

I have increased the number of threads from 5 to 10, but that doesn't
seem to speed it up any. Anyone know if the default cache times are low?
I don't want to increase them for feer of the consistency of the cache.

BTW, this is my nsswitch.conf:

[root bilious root]# cat /etc/nsswitch.conf  | grep -v ^# | grep -v ^$
passwd:     files ldap
shadow:     files ldap
group:      files ldap
hosts:      files dns
bootparams: nisplus [NOTFOUND=return] files
ethers:     files
netmasks:   files
networks:   files
protocols:  files
rpc:        files
services:   files
netgroup:   files
publickey:  nisplus
automount:  files
aliases:    files nisplus

And my nscd.conf,

[root bilious root]# cat /etc/nscd.conf  | grep -v ^# | grep -v ^$
        threads                 10
        server-user             nscd
        debug-level             0
        enable-cache            passwd          yes
        positive-time-to-live   passwd          600
        negative-time-to-live   passwd          20
        suggested-size          passwd          211
        check-files             passwd          yes
        enable-cache            group           yes
        positive-time-to-live   group           3600
        negative-time-to-live   group           60
        suggested-size          group           211
        check-files             group           yes
        enable-cache            hosts           yes
        positive-time-to-live   hosts           3600
        negative-time-to-live   hosts           20
        suggested-size          hosts           211
        check-files             hosts           yes


-- 
Derek T. Yarnell
UNIX System Administrator
Computer Science Department
University of Maryland