Mount With IDCAMS Parameter ZFS Changes Owning UID With Top Secret

Products

• Top Secret

Issue/Introduction

When defining a ZFS file system using the new IDCAMS parameter ZFS, the file system gets formatted at mount time. When this occurs, the owning ID for the directory is assigned UID=0,GID=1, instead of the uid of the issuer of the mount command. For example: 

Create a new directory under /z/user1 called zfs 

It gets created, and is owned by user1

 

$ mkdir zfs                               

$ ls -al                                

total 40                                

drwxr-xr-x  3 user1 OMVSGRP  8192 Dec 31 09:03 .        

dr-xr-xr-x 119 STCSYS TTY      0 Dec 31 08:16 ..        

-rw-------  1 user1 OMVSGRP   350 Dec 31 09:03 .sh_history   

drwxr-xr-x  2 user1 OMVSGRP    0 Dec 31 09:03 zfs       

$                                     

Then mount a ZFS file system that was created by user1 (uid=0010000999) using the IDCAMS parameter ZFS. 

mount -f user1.TEST.ZFS zfs

This changes the owner id of the directory to STCSYS which is UID=0.

$ mount -f user1.TEST.ZFS zfs                     

$ ls -al                                 

total 40                                 

drwxr-xr-x  3 user1 OMVSGRP  8192 Dec 31 09:03 .         

dr-xr-xr-x 119 STCSYS TTY      0 Dec 31 08:16 ..        

-rw-------  1 user1 OMVSGRP   421 Dec 31 09:07 .sh_history    

drwxr-xr-x  2 STCSYS OMVSGRP    0 Dec 31 09:07 zfs        

$ id

uid=10000999(user1) gid=132(SYSPDGRP)

$

There is a permit to the all record for

UNIXPRIV= SUPERUSER.FILESYS.MOUNT OWNER(SYSPDEPT)

ACCESS = UPDATE

Environment

Release : 16.0

Component : Top Secret for z/OS

Resolution

Per IBM:

What is happening here is actually due to being in a USS file sharing sysplex (BPXPRMxx is SYSPLEX=YES). Even though you are issuing the MOUNT from your own NON UID 0 userid that has been given authority to MOUNT via the access to UNIXPRIV SUPERUSER.FILESYS.MOUNT, the mount is actually running on a USS tcb when zFS processes it. This results in the osi_getcred returning UID 0, which is then used, correctly, as the owner.

In a stand alone system environment (NOT a USS File sharing sysplex, or SYSPLEX=NO), the behavior is different. In that case the mount request runs on a tcb associated with the USERs asid (NOT USS, as in the above SYSPLEX=YES environment). This then correctly results in the osi_getcred returning the UID of the user that issue the mount, which is then (also) correctly used as the owner.