RSS server configuration parameters


Server member configuration parameters (SRVSYS1)

These parameters define the protocol used by the browser interface.

The HTTP server parameters must be defined within an HTTPServer group:

Parameter

Description

HTTPServer

Head of a block of HTTP server definitions

Authenticate MFA


(Optional) Enables multi-factor authentication (MFA) compound in-band support for the server

If you do not use MFA authentication on the local external security manager (ESM), authentication is processed through the normal password validation routines. If you use standard MFA, where the password is just an MFA token, you do not need to specify this parameter.

If you omit Authenticate, this feature is not enabled.

BufferSize size

Overrides the default maximum buffer size for receiving HTTP header data

If you omit BufferSize, the default is 4096.

CustomApp name dllName

(Custom RSS solutions, only) Additional menu item that is required for some custom solutions

Note: The values for name and dllName are supplied by BMC as part of the custom solution delivery. Using alternate names might prevent the custom service from running.

  • name—name of the menu item
  • dllName—name of the BMC-supplied DLL implementing the custom functionality

InactivityTimeout seconds

Number of seconds before a logged-in user times out after a period of inactivity

If you omit InactivityTimeout, the default is 900.

IPAddress hostName|ipAddress

(Optional) Host name or IP address on which the HTTP server listens for incoming browser connections

JSONEncoding encodingValue

(Optional) JSON character encoding value

You can translate the following UTF-8 special characters from the mainframe:

ÀÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈÉÊËÌÍÎÏÐÑÒÓÔÕÖרÙÚÛÜÞßàáâãäåæçèéêëìíîïðñòóôõö÷øùúûüýþÿ

Important

Incoming data is translated without any parameter changes. This parameter is required only for JSON responses.

Valid values are UTF8 or none (default).

MinimumTokenSize

(Optional) Minimum token size used in a compound MFA

Define a size from 9 to 31. Compound tokens use the format (mfaToken:esmPassword). Confirm with your security administrator that a minimum token size can be set before using this parameter.

If you omit MinimumTokenSize, the default is 14.

MultiSessionAlert Enable|Disable

(Optional) Enables and disables multi-session alert messages

Specifying Enable triggers a pop-up message at login, alerting users if they are running multiple sessions (browser instances or browser tabs) that are using the same user ID. It also sends message RSS0189I to RSSPRINT.

If you omit MultiSessionAlert, the default is Disable.

Port nnnnn

Port number on which the RSS server listens for incoming browser connections

Make sure that the port number is available and valid; otherwise, users cannot log in and use RSS.

If you omit Port, the default is 8181.

Protocol

HTTP protocol

Use the IBM AT-TLS option to secure connections.

ResetExpiredPW Enable|Disable

(Optional) Enables resetting an expired user ID password

Specifying Disable causes RSS to issue an error message when users try to log on.

If you omit this parameter, the default value is Disable.

EndHTTPServer

Termination of a block of HTTP server definitions

Server list member configuration parameters (SRVLIST)

Use these parameters to specify the details of remote RSS servers running on another LPAR or sysplex. They are typically used by RSS applications to replicate commands or requests to remote RACF databases. 

The servers must be defined within a Servers block:

Parameter

Description

Servers

Head of a block of servers definitions

name protocol IPAddress:port

Server entry definition with the following options:

Option

Description

name

Name of the remote RSS server

This name is used for display purposes and does not have to match any other value.

protocol

HTTP protocol, used by the target RSS system (and therefore specified on its own protocol parameter)

IPAddress

IP address of the target RSS server

port

Port number on which the target RSS server is listening for inbound connections

Separate the port number from the IP address with a colon.

EndServers

Termination of a block of server definitions

Event targets member configuration parameters (TARGETS)

Use these parameters to specify the details of external systems to receive events generated by RSS applications. Every event generated by an RSS application is assigned a severity.

Multiple target systems can be defined to receive events, filtered by severity.

RSS also supports routing events to the MVS Console and the local Syslog Daemon as well as external SIEM systems.

The target systems must be defined within an EventTarget block. One EventTarget block is required for each target system.

Parameter

Description

EventTarget

Head of a block of definitions for a single target system

Encoding ASCII|EBCDIC

Specifies the encoding used to convert the event text before sending it to the target system

Format formatType

Defines the format in which the event is forwarded to the target system

Specify one of the following format types:

  • Console
  • Syslog
  • JSON
  • XML
  • RFC3164
  • RFC5424

Host Local|ipAddress|hostName

Defines the host name or IP address of the target system to which the event is to be set

Local should be specified (with Format Syslog) to write the event to the z/OS SyslogD daemon.

Name targetName

Name that you assign to the target system

This name is used only for reference purposes and does not have to match any name on the target system.

There are two reserved names for use by RSS:

  • Console—Events written to MVS console
  • Syslog—Events written to Syslog Daemon

Port portNumber

Defines the port on the target system to which the event will be sent

Protocol UDP|TCP

Defines whether the event will be sent to the target system using the TCP or UDP protocol

Severity severity severity severity

Specifies one or more event severity filters for events forwarded to this target system. The severity is set by the RSS application generating the event/alert.

The severity name follows the priority value defined in the Syslog RFC 5424.

Valid Severity names are:

  • Emergency
  • Critical
  • Alert
  • Error
  • Warning
  • Notice
  • Info
  • Debug

EndEventTarget

Termination of a block of definitions for a single target system

AutoStart configuration parameters (AUTOLOG)

(For BMC AMI Security Privileged Access Manager and BMC AMI Security Self Service Password Reset only)

Use the parameters of the AutoStart block to create started tasks that automatically start and stop other address spaces when the server address space is started. You can use this option to configure the product TSO address spaces to perform REXX services on behalf of the server address space.

Parameter

Description

AutoStart

Head of a block of Auto Start definitions

RetryDelay seconds

The time period, in seconds, between retry sequences for starting a TSO address space

RSS attempts to start the specified TSO address spaces every minute. After five failed attempts, RSS waits for the specified time period before starting a new retry sequence. Enter 0 to disable retries after the initial five attempts.

Start sysID procName procStep

Defines the started task

Include the following values:

  • sysID —The TSO address space to be started
  • procName —The procedure name must be a member in the PROCLIB concatenation
  • procStep —The specific procedure in the started task

EndAutoStart

Termination of a block of Auto Start definitions

Email configuration parameters (EMAILDEF)

You can use these parameters when an RSS application tries to generate emails. Emails can be sent directly to an SMTP server or can be routed via the JES spool and processed by standard IBM email systems, such as SMTP and CSSMTP.

The parameters defin the default email settings which, except for the SMTPServer address, you can override in the application.

The definitions must be defined within an EmailProfile block:

Parameter

Description

EmailProfile

Head of a block of email defaults definitions

EmailCustomField fieldName

Specifies the name of the RACF custom field that contains the email address of the user

Various RSS applications use this custom field to determine the email address for a specific user.

FromEmail originEmailAddress

Defines the email address to be used as the origin or sender email address

FromName nameOfSender

Defines the name of the email sender

SMTPServer ipAddress

Used to send email directly to an SMTP server

Specify the IP address of the SMTP server.

Subject subjectText

Defines the default email subject text

SysoutClass class|Default

Used to direct emails to the JES spool

Specify either the target sysout class or Default. Default is the equivalent of Sysout=* in JCL.

SysoutDest sysid

Used to direct emails to the JES spool

Specify the ID of the destination system. This must be a valid JES node name on which the IBM SMTP/CSSMTP job is running. This parameter is equivalent to the JCL DEST= statement.

SysoutWriter writerName

Used to direct emails to the JES spool

Specify the external writer name for the IBM SMTP/CSSMTP job. This parameter is equivalent to the JCL DEST=(dest,writername) statement.

EndEmailProfile

Terminates a block of email definitions

Alias table parameters (ALIASTAB)

The alias table is optional and defines alias definitions used by RSS applications and REXX procedures. The alias name is used by the application to translate a generic name into a system specific value.

The alias definitions must be defined within an AliasTable block:

Parameter

Description

AliasTable

Head of a block of alias definitions

Alias aliasName specificName

Alias name and the specific name it will be translated into

The alias names are defined by the application or REXX procedure using this feature.

EndAliasTable

Termination of a block of alias definitions

Syslogd member configuration parameters (SYSLOGD)

These parameters are required when RSS is to operate as a SyslogD server. The configuration of a remote syslogd server (on z/OS or other operating systems) can specify these details to forward syslogd messages to RSS for post-processing.

The syslogd server definitions must be defined within a SyslogServer block:

Parameter

Description

SyslogServer

Head of a block of syslogd server definitions

IPaddress hostName|ipAddress

Host name or IP address on which the RSS syslogd server listens

Make sure that you use a valid IP address on the LPAR on which RSS is running.

If a syslogd server is already running on the LPAR, you can use a VIPA or application-specific VIPA address to route specific syslogd messages to RSS.

Port port

Defines the UDP port number on which the RSS syslogd server will listen

Typically, the port number is 514.

EndSyslogServer

Termination of a block of syslogd server definitions

Audit log parameters

Use the following audit log parameters to specify the details of the audit log maintained by the RSS server:

Parameter

Description

AuditLogDBName mask

(Optional) Overrides the default HFS or zFS audit log database name format

This parameter is valid only when writing the audit log to a database file.

Specify a valid file name format for the mask. You can include symbolic variables, such as &SYSNAME.

Use the following variables to represent the date on which the file is created:

  • %y—Year in YY format
  • %m—Month in MM format
  • %d—Day in DD format
  • %Y—Year in YYYY format
  • %T—Time in HH:MM:SS format

For example, rss.&SYSNAME..audit%y%m%d.ddname

AuditLogFileName mask

(Optional) Overrides the default HFS/ZFS auditlog file name format

This parameter is valid only when writing the audit log to the HFS/ZFS file system.

Specify a valid file name format for the mask. You can include symbolic variables, such as &SYSNAME.

Use the following variables to represent the date on which the file is created:

  • %y—Year in YY format
  • %m—Month in MM format
  • %d—Day in DD format
  • %Y—Year in YYYY format
  • %T—Time in HH:MM:SS format

Example:

rss.&SYSNAME..audit%y%m%d.txt

AuditLogPath pathName

Specify the fully qualified path of the audit log file in the HFS or ZFS file system. The file is created the first time that the RSS server is started.

The RSS server address space must have read/write access to the directory and file.

AuditLogOptions Database | option

Additional AuditLog options to control the type or types of audit log output

If no options are specified, the audit log is written to the SQL database on the path defined on the AuditLogPath statement.

To add more than one option, you must write multiple AuditLogOptions statements and must not add all options to a single AuditLogOptions statement.

Option

Description

Database

(Default) Indicator to write the audit log to the SQL database.

DAILY 

(Optional) Creates a daily audit log even if no activity has occurred

DEST destName

(Optional) Destination name for the dynamically allocated SYSOUT file

FILE

Indicator to write the audit log to a sequential file in the AuditLogPath

A new file is opened each day that some activity has occurred, for example if a user logs on.

SYSOUT class

Indicator to write the audit log to a SYSOUT file with the specified class

You can specify the class as Default.

AuditLogRetention days

Number of days that audit log records are held in the database before they are deleted by RSS

Custom server configuration parameters

A custom server configuration is required only for custom RSS-based applications. It is not required for any of the BMC-supplied product set.

These parameters define the protocol used by the browser interface and the additional parameters required when using a secured HTTPS connection to the browser.

The custom server parameters must be defined within a CustomServer group:

Parameter

Description

CustomServer

Heads a block of custom server definitions

Handler dllName

This mandatory parameter specifies the name of the DLL routine to handle the custom server operations. This DLL will be supplied as part of the custom project.

IPAddress

The IP address of the custom server

Keyring

RACF_keyringName|HFSpath HFSstash

This parameter is relevant only if the custom server communicates over TLS or SSL. For connections secured through AT-TLS, the certificate to be used is defined in the AT-TLS policy.

RSS supports both RACF and HFS based keyrings for private keys and certificates. If you are using these in your Installation, specify this parameter to tell RSS where to obtain certificate/password data.

Label certificateLabelName

This parameter is relevant only if the custom server communicates over TLS or SSL. For connections secured through -AT-TLS, the certificate to be used is defined in the AT-TLS policy.

Specify the label of the certificate to be used by RSS. If this parameter is omitted, RSS uses the default label in the keyring.

This parameter is case-sensitive and if specified must exactly match the label as originally defined irrespective of the keyring type.

For HFS keyrings, if a single certificate exists, it is assumed to be the default certificate. RACF keyrings have no default certificate unless one of the certificates was added with the DEFAULT keyword. Therefore, for RACF keyrings, the Label parameter might be mandatory.

Port nnnnn

This parameter defines the port on which the custom server listens for incoming connections.You can use any available and valid port number.

Protocol protocol

This parameter defines the protocol used by the custom server. The values supported are defined in the specific custom server definition.

ServerID name

This mandatory parameter assigns a name to this RSS custom server. If multiple custom servers are defined, this name must be unique.

EndCustomServer

Terminates the block of custom server definitions

 

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