Elements of security in an APPC network

 

When Distributed Relational Database Architecture™ (DRDA^®) is used, the data resources of each server in the DRDA environment should be protected.

To protect data resources of each server in the DRDA environment, you can use three groups of security elements that are controlled by the following parameters:

• For system-related security or session, the LOCPWD parameter is used on each iSeries™ server to indicate the system validation password to be exchanged between the source and target systems when an Advanced Program-to-Program Communication (APPC) session is first established between them. Both systems must exchange the same password before the session is started. (On System/36™, this password is called the location password.) In an APPC network, the LOCPWD parameter on the Create Device Description (APPC) (CRTDEVAPPC) command specifies this password. Devices are created automatically using APPN, and the location password on the remote location list specifies a password that is used by the two locations to verify identities. Use the Create Configuration List (CRTCFGL) command to create a remote location list of type (*APPNRMT).

• For user-related or location security, the SECURELOC parameter is used on each iSeries server to indicate whether it (as a target server) accepts incoming access requests that have their security already verified by the source server or whether it requires a user ID and encrypted password. In an APPC network, the SECURELOC parameter on the Create Device Description (APPC) (CRTDEVAPPC) command specifies whether the local server allows the remote server to verify security. Devices are created automatically using APPN, and the secure-location on an APPN remote Configuration List is used to determine if the local server allows the remote server to verify user security information. The SECURELOC value can be specified differently for each remote location.

  The SECURELOC parameter is used with the following security elements:

  • The user ID sent by the source server, if allowed by this parameter

  • The user ID and encrypted password, if allowed by this parameter

  • The target server user profiles, including default user profiles

  For more information, see the DDM source system security in an APPC network topic.

• For object-related security, the DDMACC parameter is used on the Change Network Attributes (CHGNETA) command to indicate whether the files on the iSeries server can be accessed at all by another server and, if so, at which level of security the incoming requests are to be checked. More information about this object-related parameter is provided in the topic DDM Network Attribute (DDMACC Parameter).

  • If *REJECT is specified on the DDMACC parameter, all DRDA requests received by the target iSeries server are rejected.

  • If *OBJAUT is specified on the DDMACC parameter, normal object-level security is used on the target server.

  • If the name of an optional, user-supplied user exit program (or access control program) is specified on the DDMACC parameter, an additional level of security is used. The user exit program can be used to control whether a given user of a specific source server can use a specific command to access (in some manner) a specific file on the target server. (See the topic DDM server access control exit program for additional security for details.)

  • When a file is created on the target server using DRDA, the library name specified contains the file. If no library name is specified on the DRDA request, the current library (*CURLIB) is used. The file authority defaults to allow only the user who created the file or the target server's security officer to access the file.

Most of the security controls for limiting remote file access are handled by the target server. Except for the user ID provided by the source server, all of these elements are specified and used on the target server. The source server, however, also limits access to target server files by controlling access to the DRDA file on the source server and by sending the user ID, when needed, to the target server.

• APPN configuration lists
  In an APPC network, location passwords are specified for those pairs of locations that are going to have end-to-end sessions between them.

• Conversation level security
  Systems Network Architecture (SNA) logical unit (LU) 6.2 architecture identifies three conversation security designations that various types of systems in an SNA network can use to provide consistent conversation security across a network of unlike systems.

• DRDA application server security in an APPC network
  When the target server is an iSeries server, several elements are used together to determine whether a request to access a remote file is allowed or not.

 

Parent topic:

Elements of distributed relational database security

 

Related concepts

DRDA application server security in an APPC network

 

Related reference

DDM server access control exit program for additional security