Set TAPE(DEF) In Top Secret To Protect Defined Volumes Without Impacting CA-1 TMS

Products

• Top Secret

Issue/Introduction

Most of VOLUMES are protected using CA-1 TMS. All of these volumes start with a number. There are some volumes (xxxxxx) that are not under CA-1 TMS that need to be secured by Top Secret. VOLUME(xxx(G)) is owned. Can TAPE(DEF) be set in Top Secret to protect defined tape volumes without impacting access to the CA-1 TMS volumes?

Environment

Release : 16.0

Resolution

Here is how the checking is done:

1. If the tape volume access level requested is BLP (Bypass Label Processing), then volume access will be checked.
2. If the access request coms from a catalog operation, then the volume check is skipped and the data set name is checked.
3. If TAPE(OFF) is set, then exit with no further checking.
4. If the NOVOLCHK attribute is active, then exit with no further checking unless access is BLP, then check the data set name unless the NODSNCHK attribute is active. Proceed to scan the user, profile, and ALL records for any matching tape volume ownership or permission 
5. If tape volume match is not found and access level is BLP, then fail request.
6. If tape volume match is not found and TAPE(DEF) is set, then drive additional tape volume checking as follows:
    If the tape volume is defined (owned), then fail access.
    If the tape volume is not defined, then allow access.

So with TAPE(DEF) set, Top Secret will perform all normal validation based on ownerships and permits and then perform the additional "defined" check if ownership or permit is found.
- With TAPE(DEF) and an undefined volume, the access is granted.
- With TAPE(DEF) and the volume is defined but not permitted, it fails the access.

So TAPE(DEF) should be able to coexist with a tape management product such as TMS, but with the additional overhead to search for ownerships and permits.