How to troubleshoot NIS binding problems on OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion? I am trying to setup NIS on OS X 10.8 but it fails for some reasons.

I tried to add the NIS domain using the Directory Utility.app but when I go to Directory Editor tab and select my NIS node, I do get an error:

Connection failed to node '/NIS/uk.example.com' (2100)

On OS X 10.8 machine


uk.example.com is the domainname (does not solve in DNS)
nis2.uk.example.com is the ypbind server (does solve in DNS)
I am already on corporate LAN and I can ping nis2.uk.example.com
domainname returns uk.example.com
ypbind -d prints 'ypbind: returned from 10.80.16.129 about uk.example.com' but it does not return, I need to press Ctrl-C.



dhcp-3-130:~ sorins$ rpcinfo -p
   program vers proto   port
    100000    2   udp    111  portmapper
    100000    3   udp    111  portmapper
    100000    4   udp    111  portmapper
    100000    2   tcp    111  portmapper
    100000    3   tcp    111  portmapper
    100000    4   tcp    111  portmapper
    100007    2   udp    845  ypbind
    100007    2   tcp   1009  ypbind

dhcp-3-130:~ sorins$ sudo automount -vc
automount: /net updated
automount: /home updated
automount: /Network/Servers updated
automount: no unmounts

ypwhich
nis2.uk.example.com


** On a reference Ubuntu, in the same LAN, where NIS works **

ypbind -d
31213: parsing config file
31213: Trying entry: domain uk.example.com server 10.80.16.129
31213: parsed domain 'uk.example.com' server '10.80.16.129'
31213: add_server() domain: uk.example.com, host: 10.80.16.129, slot: 0
31213: [Welcome to ypbind-mt, version 1.20.1]


So Ubuntu works, but on OS X it doesn't. Why?
Since NIS is a third party product - you should be able to follow any of the great troubleshooting guides on the internet and make headway to determine if this is a client or server issue.

My gold standard for a NIS guide is from IBM:


Troubleshooting NIS-Related Problems


From what you have posted in the question edits - it appears that ypwhich would be the next item to check to ensure the client OS is configured properly. If not, the network troubleshooting or a manual ypset may be needed. If to, you could use ypcat to see that the command line can call some of the maps you care to configure on the client side (hosts for example).