SESSKEY Keyword—Session Keys

Valid on z/OS.

Use the SESSKEY keyword to:

Define the encryption key for the application.
Display the session keys associated with designated LINKIDs in the APPCLU Record or PassTicket applications in the NDT Record.

SESSKEY is a one‑ to 16‑byte hexadecimal “password” unique to each application assigned as a PassTicket. A SESSKEY is required for each PassTicket.

SESSKEY cannot be used with REMOVE. To remove the field from the APPCLU record, use REPLACE and specify keyword().

This keyword has the following format:

TSS ADDTO(NDT) PSTKAPPL(application)
               SESSKEY(session_key)

TSS ADDTO(APPCLU) LINKID(id)
                  SESSKEY(session_key)
                  INTERVAL(num)

TSS LIST(NDT) DATA(SESSKEY)

This keyword is used with:

The commands ADDTO, ADMIN, REPLACE, and LIST
The ACID types APPCLU and NDT
DATA(SESSKEY) authority and either MISC2(APPCLU) or MISC2(NDT) authority depending on the keys designated

Examples: SESSKEY keyword

In this example, the security administrator establishes a link between LU01 and LU02. When a TP on LU01 initiates a conversation request with a TP on LU02, the SESSKEY and the initiating ACID must be validated. The SESSKEY must be changed every 30 days:

TSS ADD(APPCLU) LINKID(SYS1.LU01.LU02)
                CONVSEC(CONV)
                SESSKEY(1234)
                INTERVAL(30)

In this example, the administrator for the APPCLU Record needs to indicate that the SESSKEY provided for the LU01‑LU02 link changes every 14 days:

TSS ADD(APPCLU) LINKID(SYS1.LU01.LU02)
                SESSKEY(1234)
                INTERVAL(14)

In this example, a PassTicket application for TSO consists of the literal 'TSO' and a four‑character SMFID. The SMFID is SYSA; therefore, the PassTicket for that system is TSOSYSA. The session key is 296LFD:

TSS ADD(NDT) PSTKAPPL(TSOSYSA)
             SESSKEY(296LFD)

This example indicates that the session key for KA180987 is A1B2C3:

TSS ADD(NDT) PSTKAPPL(KA180987)
             SESSKEY(A1B2C3)

This example lists session keys and associated applications:

TSS LIST(NDT) DATA(SESSKEY)