Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Storage Networks Explained or Mainframe Basics for Security Professionals

Storage Networks Explained: Basics and Application of Fibre Channel SAN, NAS, ISCSI and InfiniBand

Author: Rachael Waddington

Storage Networks Explained has much to recommend it.
…a rarity in the literature of digital data storage – a complete exposition of both the base subject matter and its applications, which at the same time offers a level of readability making it suitable as an introduction to the subject. Storage Networks Explained is also flexible. It can be read cover-to-cover, browsed, or used as a reference. I recommend Storage Networks Explained as an essential component of any active information technology library.”



Paul Massiglia, Technical Director, VERITAS Software Corporation


Storage networks will become a basic technology like databases or local area networks. According to market research, 700f external storage devices will be connected via storage networks in 2003. The authors have hands-on experience of network storage hardware and software, they teach customers about concrete network storage products, they understand the concepts behind storage networks, and show customers how storage networks address their business needs. 

Storage networks provide shared access to stored data from multiple computers and servers, thus increasing storage efficiency  and availability. They permit information management functions such as backup and recovery, data mirroring, disaster recovery, and data migration to be performed quickly and efficiently, with a minimum of system overhead.

This book explains how to use storage networks to fix malfunctioning business processes, covering the technologies as well as applications. A hot topic thatwill become increasingly important in the coming years.



•  One of the first books to focus on using rather than building storage networks, and how to solve problems.

•  Looking beyond technology and showing the true benefits of storage networks.

• Covers fibre channel SAN, Network Attached Storage, iSCSI and InfiniBand technologies.

• Contains several case studies (e.g. the example of a travel portal, protecting a critical database)

• Endorsed by the Storage Networking Industry Association.

• Written by very experienced professionals who tailored the book specifically to meet customer needs including support with supplementry material on Troppens website and Preface written by Tony Clark.



Provides basic application information key for systems administrators, database administrators and managers who need to know about the networking aspects of their systems. As well as systems architects, network managers, information management directors and decision makers.
This book also supports applications for graduate students and other relevant courses in the field.

Awarded Best System Administration Book 2005 by the Linux Journal



Read also Laboratory Handbook for the Fractionation of Natural Extracts or Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health

Mainframe Basics for Security Professionals: Getting Started with RACF

Author: Ori Pomerantz

Leverage Your Security Expertise in IBM® System z™ Mainframe Environments

For over 40 years, the IBM mainframe has been the backbone of the world’s largest enterprises. If you’re coming to the IBM System z mainframe platform from UNIX®, Linux®, or Windows®, you need practical guidance on leveraging its unique security capabilities. Now, IBM experts have written the first authoritative book on mainframe security specifically designed to build on your experience in other environments.

Even if you’ve never logged onto a mainframe before, this book will teach you how to run today’s z/OS®  operating system command line and ISPF toolset and use them to efficiently perform every significant security administration task. (Don’t have a mainframe available for practice? This book’s companion Web site contains step-by-step videos walking you through dozens of key techniques.)

The authors illuminate the mainframe’s security model and call special attention to z/OS security techniques that differ from UNIX, Linux, and Windows. They thoroughly introduce IBM’s powerful Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) security subsystem and demonstrate how mainframe security integrates into your enterprise-wide IT security infrastructure. If you’re an experienced system administrator or security professional, there’s no faster way to extend your expertise into “big iron” environments.

Coverage includes

  • Mainframe basics: logging on, allocating and editing data sets, running JCL jobs, using UNIX System Services, and accessingdocumentation
  • Creating, modifying, and deleting users and groups
  • Protecting data sets, UNIX file system files, databases, transactions, and other resources
  • Manipulating profiles and managing permissions
  • Configuring the mainframe to log security events, filter them appropriately, and create usable reports
  • Using auditing tools to capture static configuration data and dynamic events, identify weaknesses, and remedy them
  • Creating limited-authority administrators: how, when, and why



Table of Contents:
Foreword     xv
Preface     xvii
Acknowledgments     xix
About the Authors     xxi
Introduction to the Mainframe     1
Why Use a Mainframe?     1
A Little History     1
Why Are Mainframes Different?     2
Mainframe vs. Client/Server     3
Getting Started     4
What You Will Need     4
Logging in to the Mainframe     5
"Hello, World" from TSO     6
Job Control Language (JCL)     7
Introduction to JCL     8
Data Sets     9
Using ISPF to Create and Run Batch Jobs     10
JCL Syntax     15
Viewing the Job Output     16
z/OS UNIX System Services     19
Getting Help     22
Context-Sensitive Help     22
The Manuals     24
Additional Information     25
Users and Groups     27
Creating a User     27
How to Modify a User for OMVS Access     31
Modifying the User     31
Creating the OMVS Home Directory (and Modifying Users from TSO)     34
Verifying MYUSER Has OMVS Access     36
Groups     36
Searching Groups     36
Displaying a Group     38
Connecting Users to a Group     39
zSecure     42
Additional Information     43
Protecting Data Sets and Other Resources     45
Protecting Data Sets     45
Default Permissions     45
Access Control List Permissions     49
Project Groups and Generic Profiles     53
Other Resources     57
Gathering Information     57
Activating UNIXPRIV     59
Delegating chown Privileges     61
Verifying the Change     63
Deleting Resource Profiles     63
Security Data (Levels, Categories, and Labels)     64
Defining the Policy     64
Assigning Security Levels and Categories     65
Security Labels (SECLABELs)     66
Securing UNIX System Services (USS) Files     68
zSecure     70
Additional Information     71
Logging     73
Configuring Logging     73
SMF Configuration     74
RACF Configuration     80
Generating Reports     82
Unloading Log Data to Sequential Text Files     82
Understanding Sequential Reports     85
Generating Reports with ICETOOL     87
Other Types of Reports     91
UNIX System Services (USS) Logging     91
Classes for USS Logging     92
SMF Settings for USS     93
Specifying Logging in USS     93
Viewing the USS Log Records     95
Logging in zSecure     95
Additional Information     97
Auditing     99
Auditing     99
The RACF Data Security Monitor (DSMON)     100
Running DSMON     101
The System Report     102
The Program Properties Table Report     103
The RACF Authorized Caller Table (ICHAUTAB) Report     104
The RACF Exits Report     104
The Selected User Attribute Report     105
The Selected Data Sets Report     106
The Set RACF Options (SETROPTS) Command     108
The RACF Database Unload Utility (IRRDBU00)     110
Removing IDs with IRRRID00     111
The RACF Health Checks     114
RACF_SENSITIVE_RESOURCES     114
RACF_IBMUSER_REVOKED     117
RACF Classes Active Health Checks      117
zSecure Auditing     118
Additional Information     120
Limited-Authority RACF Administrators     121
Profiles Owned by Users     121
Group-Owned Profiles and Group Authorities     122
The group-AUDITOR Authority     124
The group-SPECIAL Authority     127
The group-OPERATIONS Authority     128
System-Level Authorities     128
Manipulating Users     129
Creating Users     129
Manipulating Users     131
Additional Information     133
Mainframes in the Enterprise-Wide Security Infrastructure     135
What Is an Enterprise?     136
Enterprise Components     137
Security across Enterprise Components     139
Communication Protocols     141
Enterprise Security Administration     144
Authentication and Authorization     145
Credential Propagation and Transformation     145
Communicating between Enterprises-and Beyond     148
Additional Information     149
Index     151

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