Discovered that you will see this behavior when the NIS server name is not in all Capital letter.  Changed the NIS server to all caps and issue went a way.
IHAC with a MP environment.  We added AD and NIS to the system access zone.  When the customer logs off the gui and tries to log back on as root he gets accessed denied.  If he logs in through ssh no problems.  He removes NIS from the system access zone and he can log back into the GUI.  Is NIS being used as the authentication source for the local access to OneFS?
OneFS 7.0.1 GUI authentication