If a routine finds the information, the routine returns a success status message. If the routine does not find the information, the routine returns one of three error status messages. Possible status messages are listed in the following table.
| Status Message | Meaning of Message |
|---|---|
| SUCCESS | The requested entry was found in the specified source. |
| UNAVAIL | The source is either unresponsive or unavailable. In other words, neither the NIS+ table, the NIS map, nor the /etc file could be found or be accessed. |
| NOTFOUND | The source responded with “No such entry.” In other words, the table, map, or file was accessed but the needed information was not found. |
| TRYAGAIN | The source is busy. The source might respond next time. In other words, the table, map, or file was found, but could not respond to the query. |