Preventing users from opening Common Lib in edit mode

Hari Hara Krishnan N · New User Joined: 16 Mar 2007 Posts: 5 Location: Chennai

How to prevent the users from opening the Common librabies such as the Copy libraries in the edit mode?

expat · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 1:32 pm

Ask the security people to make it READ only except for authorised users.

nevilh · Active User Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 262

If you have read access to a dataset (RACF ) you can still EDIT it. You just can't save the changes

expat · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 6:18 pm

When you open a dataset in EDIT it will be opened in UPDATE.

If you do not have update authority the access request would be denied.

nevilh · Active User Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 262

I hate to disagree but you can edit a dataset if you only have READ access you just can't change it . Try it

nevilh · Active User Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 262

One word of qualification this is for PDS datasets only PDSE's are handled differently

expat · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:12 pm

Damn, the way RACF has the different sections grouped, I can't add extra profiles and change the access to test this.

Until such time as I can, I shall have to let it rest.

nevilh · Active User Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 262

To save you testing the following is a quote from the IBM lab.

When editing a PDS under ISPF, ISPF issues an
OPEN for input. If the user issues the SAVE command (or END after
making changes), ISPF CLOSES the data set, and issues an OPEN for
UPDATE. At that point, a user with READ access will fail with a 913.
ISPF opens the file for output because a PDSE may be multiply open for output. SO ISPF has to open the data set for output before displaying the data.

nevilh · Active User Joined: 01 Sep 2006 Posts: 262

Sorry Hari we forgot about your original question . The answer would appear to be that if the user has read access to the library and it is a PDS you cannot stop him editing it. You could convert the dataset to a PDSE and then with access Read the user would no longer be able to EDIT it

expat · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:33 pm

Nice one Nevil

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2007 7:57 pm

Hello,

I may be missing something (and i'm sure someone will set me straight if i am

), but why is there a concern about editing a member if the changes cannot be saved? If someone has read access, they can easily copy the member to their own pds and "really" edit the menber.

Is the goal to prevent any editing on the member or just to protect the member in the "Common Library"?