(also network information service, NIS)
A directory service protocol used to provide uniform configuration files to a network. Based on remote procedure calls, NIS maintains common databases for passwords, groups, hosts files, and so on to networked devices.
1985: Sun Microsystems developed NIS for central authentication and authorization in networked Unix systems.
1992: NIS was officially succeeded by NIS+, but the protocol failed to gain traction and was eventually abandoned.
