Can I use VTAM dynamic application definitions with Teleview?

Products

• Teleview
• TELEVIEW- PACKAGE

Issue/Introduction

Can I use VTAM dynamic application definitions with Teleview Session Manager?

Resolution

es, and the results have been great. A VTAM application model definition can be defined for all the terminal definitions. VTAM will activate the terminal when the ACB for the session is opened and delete it when the ACB is closed. This eliminates the question - What are the benefits of using Teleview Menu Control via External Security and how is it implemented?

External security was designed to reduce the redundancy of data stored on both the security and Teleview databases. Broadcom recommends that Teleview be set up to make a security call to your security product (ACF2, Top Secret, or similar) at the time of logon to determine if the user is allowed access to Teleview, and if so, which applications. After the logon is accepted, the user is presented a main menu of applications which he/she can establish sessions. This list is determined by one of three methods.

• The userid has been defined in the Teleview database, along with the applications they can access.
• The userid has been assigned a profile by either security or the Teleview database that contains a list of applications.
• Teleview uses external security to validate applications that are assigned to the Teleview users' profile. The default profile is $DEFAULT, however the VSSX exit allows the profile to be changed.

The first two methods require Teleview administrators to add userids and profiles, which already reside in the security database, to the Teleview database. The third method allows Teleview administrators to utilize the security definitions, which are already in place, and only update the active applications and the base profile(s) used for external security.

Benefits

• Maintenance to Teleview is reduced to
  • Adding new applications and deleting obsolete applications from the Teleview database as necessary.
  • Updating of $DEFAULT or other profiles in the Teleview database as needed.

The definitions of userids, passwords, and list of accessible applications remain with the security administrator that most likely is already in place.

• Utilization of Teleview External Security by Application eliminates the need for any signon user exit or the use of any other Teleview profile, other than $DEFAULT.
• Utilization of Teleview External Security by Profile provides for the use of different Teleview profiles, containing variations of application mixes, established in Teleview, and using the VSSX user exit to build the user's Teleview main menu.

 

Implementation of Teleview External Security by application assignment

• Enable (uncomment) the USE-EXTERNAL-SECURITY feature in the FEATURES member of the VOPTIONS dataset.
• Define profile $DEFAULT in Teleview, containing all applications, including Teleview internal applications. There is a maximum of 255 applications that may be defined to any profile.
• At user sign on, Teleview will present each application in the $DEFAULT profile to the security system for authorization. The resulting Teleview main menu will only reflect the applications that are authorized by security for that user.

 

Implementation of Teleview External Security by profile assignment via VSSX user exit

• Enable (uncomment) both USE-EXTERNAL-SECURITY and USE-EXTERNAL-SECURITY-EXIT features in the FEATURES member of VOPTIONS dataset
• Establish profiles, each containing one or more applications in Teleview. The $DEFAULT profile containing all internal and external applications can also be used with the VSSX.
• The VSSX user exit is called when both features noted above are activated. The exit allows for association of a user to a Teleview profile other than $DEFAULT. The VSSX exit has the option of overriding the $DEFAULT profile with another profile before the checking of each application against the security system occurs. Again, the Teleview main menu will only contain the list of authorized applications. An example of the VSSX user exit is provided in library SAMPJCL - member VSSXINST for TOP SECRET and RACF or VSSXACF2 for ACF2 (as part of the Teleview install process).

 

Please refer to the Teleview Getting Started guide, Chapter 4: Installation Steps, Step 15: Customize Starter System, Task 15: Customizing Teleview Sign-on, for detailed information on security for  Teleview.   The PDF with these sections may be found in the Teleview Session Management bookshelf.