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Controlling CP Commands and Diagnose Instructions

You have already learned how you can write access rules that define who can access information and resources and how that access is controlled.

Command limiting rules also control access, but provide further flexibility in validating users and the information they can use on the system. Through command limiting rules, you can control which Control Program (CP)commands and operands a user can execute.

What Is a Command Limiting Rule Set?

A command limiting rule set contains the rules for a particular CP command. For example, one rule set can control the SPOOL command while another rule set controls the SET command. Each command limiting rule set consists of control statements and rule entries.

Control Statements

The control statements in a command limiting rule set include:

$KEY

Specifies the full name of the CP command that the rule set applies to.

$MDLTYPE

Associates the rule with a particular release of VM. It can also provide separate rule sets when systems share the same databases.

$MODE

Specifies the mode for command limiting validation. It provides another way of changing the system‑wide mode for command limiting validation.

$NOSORT

Prevents CA ACF2 for z/VM from sorting the rule set.

$OWNER

Specifies the owner of the rule set for tracking purposes.

$USERDATA

Stores rule set information.

Rule Entries

Each rule entry specifies an environment where a CP command can occur. These parameters can indicate:

Command operands

Specifies the operands of the CP command being issued

UID

Specifies those users that can issue the CP command with the specified operands

UNTIL|FOR

Specifies any time limitation (you can specify the number of days or a date) when a user can issue the command and operands.

Each rule entry also specifies an access permission, which determines how CA ACF2 for z/VM handles an attempt to issue a CP command under a particular environment. These permissions are:

ALLOW

Allows execution of the CP command under the specified conditions

LOG

Allows execution but writes a record to log the attempt

PREVENT

Denies execution and logs the attempt.

Masking in Command Limiting Rules

Masking in command limiting rules reduces the number of rule entries that you need to write. The number of rule entries is reduced because you can write a rule to allow:

For example, the following rule set applies to users in the Payroll Department at the True Lock Company. This rule set lets those users issue the SPOOL command with the PRINT operand and one other operand of one to four characters. (Command limiting rules usually contain more than one rule entry.)

$KEY(SPOOL)
 PRINT **** UID(TLCPAY‑) ALLOW

In this example, each asterisk can match any character including trailing blanks. The dash (—) represents any characters that completes the character string. In this case, UID(TLCPAY—) is the same as UID(TLCPAY*************) or UID(TLCPAY), because any specified UIDs are treated as if they were masked with a trailing dash.

Sample Command Limiting Rule Set

The following example illustrates a command limiting rule set for the CP SET command:

$KEY(SET) MDLTYPE(H50)
FAVORED — UID(AUTOLOG1) ALLOW
FAVORED — UID(OPERATOR) LOG
FAVORED — UID(*) PREVENT
PRIORITY — UID(AUTOLOG1) ALLOW
PRIORITY — UID(OPERATOR) LOG
PRIORITY — UID(*) PREVENT
SRM   — UID(MAINT) LOG
SRM   — UID(*) PREVENT
— UID(*) ALLOW

This example allows user AUTOLOG1 to issue the SET FAVORED and SET PRIORITY commands. The OPERATOR user ID can issue the SET FAVORED and SET PRIORITY commands, but they will be logged. MAINT can issue the SET SMR command, but it will be logged. By default, all other users are prevented from issuing the SET FAVORED, SET PRIORITY and SET SRM commands. The last rule entry allows users to issue all other operand combinations of the SET command without logging or preventing them.

You can determine the CP commands that CA ACF2 for z/VM validates. When a CP command is validated, command limiting rules determine who can issue the command, under what conditions the command can be issued, and with what operands the command can be issued.