Security for View Database Extended Format Databases.

Products

• OM View

Issue/Introduction

With the use of SARDBASE ADDDS ... ABOVE to create large View database extents, beyond the 4369 cylinder limit, there will be a physical-sequential (PS) file created, which can affect what security can be used on those datasets. With the use of the maximum of 4369 cylinders, and a direct-access (DA) file being created, typical access methods were not allowed to read that format.

DSORG=PS option leaves open the possibility of access to the data using non-View methods. With that, what are the security methods need to be considered to handle this issue?

Environment

View - Releases 12.2 and higher.

Resolution

From the previous maximum of 4369 cylinders allowed per View database extent, the limit was increased to 32760 cylinders, for large datasets. Requirements for being able to allocate larger database extents necessitated to make the change the type of dataset from DA to PS, due to IBM restrictions. With the change in dataset type, the need for security changes, if the larger extents are to be used.

 

This dataset security can be provided by View Systems Extensions, SARXTD. With the SARXTD dataset security feature, access can be limited to the database extents. With use of PARM='index,...', the high-level index (one or more qualifiers are separated by periods with a maximum length of 17 characters), data security will be activated for the View data sets. 

After the data set security feature is activated, any program (other than View) that has not been marked in the program properties table to bypass password protection is restricted from accessing any data set whose name begins with the specified high-level index.