Looking in my wayback machine I recall an operator who accidentally pushed the 
IML button on our 3033 console a couple of times. After the second time, we 
installed a protective device, and the Sheldon-shield was invented.

Mark Jacobs

Sent from ProtonMail, Swiss-based encrypted email.

GPG Public Key - 
https://api.protonmail.ch/pks/lookup?op=get&[email protected]

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

On Wednesday, March 24th, 2021 at 1:50 PM, Pommier, Rex 
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Hi Radoslaw,
>
> I knew you meant it as a joke and I took it as such. Hence my smiley face. 
> The OPERCMDS class has several entries in it but somehow QUIESCE was missed 
> from way back when for a specific lock down so it was allowed by a more 
> generic profile.
>
> I checked the type80 records and there was nothing immediately before the 
> quiesce command was entered.
>
> O well, we figured out what happened and put security in place to minimize 
> the possibility of it happening again, and we now know what to do if it does 
> happen so we can get the system back up without issue and be able to find and 
> train the guilty party.
>
> Rex
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On Behalf Of 
> Radoslaw Skorupka
>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 10:26 AM
>
> To: [email protected]
>
> Subject: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
>
> Obviously the part about killing was only poor joke, but there is some sense 
> hidden in.
>
> I mean it is good idea to talk to person who did it. Not to punish, but talk 
> and explain and hear his/her explanations.
>
> For RACF admin it is quite obvious the security model should be somehow 
> checked. Again the person can have good explanation of current state of 
> protection.
>
> Regarding traces - It is a little bit hard to test, especially without access 
> to mainframe ;-) but I guess SMF80 can be written just before system freeze. 
> Note it is RACF security check - it happens BEFORE the command is interpreted 
> by the system. Simpler example: when you issue CANCEL CICSABC and you don't 
> have such started task, you first will be checked by RACF (and maybe 
> rejected) and then the command is really issued, and you will get answer like 
> "there is no such started task to cancel".
>
> BTW: I imagined what would happen after such case on production...
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Radoslaw Skorupka
>
> (looking for new job)
>
> Lodz, Poland
>
> W dniu 24.03.2021 o 14:58, Pommier, Rex pisze:
>
> > I'm going to agree with most of it. I don't like the part about killing the 
> > RACF admin. I'm not the one who initially set up the OPERCMDS security but 
> > I missed the fact the QUIESCE command wasn't set as "don't let anybody 
> > use". Hari-kari is not on my bucket list. :-)
> >
> > On to Radoslaw's comment about logging - it is logged, after the fact. 
> > QUIESCE does exactly that - it stops the LPAR in its tracks. Do not pass 
> > Go, do not collect $200. No z/OS logging at the time it happens. IBM 
> > hardware support found and reported the wait state back to us from some 
> > hardware logs that were forwarded to them from our CE. The z/OS logging 
> > takes place after the PSW restart from the HMC occurs and yes, it shows the 
> > console or user that executed the command. However in our case since the 
> > LPAR stopped in the middle of the day and we had managers breathing down 
> > our necks to get the system back up we didn't have time to properly 
> > diagnose until after the fact - which included an IPL which in turn did not 
> > allow the logging of the quiesce command to take place.
> >
> > Rex
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On Behalf Of 
> > Carmen Vitullo
> >
> > Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 8:07 AM
> >
> > To: [email protected]
> >
> > Subject: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
> >
> > agree 100%, when I tested the command on my sandbox system I see my ID in 
> > the syslog as the culprit :) if done from a console, then the console name 
> > is shown.
> >
> > Carmen Vitullo
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >
> > From: Radoslaw [email protected]
> >
> > To: IBM-MAIN [email protected]
> >
> > Date: Wednesday, 24 March 2021 8:01 AM CDT
> >
> > Subject: Re: z14 HMC log information
> >
> > IMHO there should be a trace in a syslog. Maybe that part of syslog is 
> > somehow lost.
> >
> > And it would be good idea to have SMF record for that command. I don't know 
> > about console commands, but SMF80 could be cut if you take care about 
> > AUDIT(ALL(READ)) in advance. I mean RACF profile.
> >
> > Then find the person and kill him. Don't forget to kill RACF admin who 
> > forgot to protect the command. Kill'em all. ;-)
> >
> > Seriously: it is a symptom of bad security model.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Radoslaw Skorupka
> >
> > (looking for new job)
> >
> > Lodz, Poland
> >
> > W dniu 24.03.2021 o 13:54, Pommier, Rex pisze:
> >
> > > Hi Carmen,
> > >
> > > We use the quiesce parameter of the reset command as well. I'm thinking 
> > > that's what happened here as well, but we have no idea "whodunit". We had 
> > > 1 operator on duty that day and he was off doing something else when it 
> > > happened so the command made it into the system via an SDSF-like console 
> > > session.
> > >
> > > Rex
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > >
> > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On
> > >
> > > Behalf Of Carmen Vitullo
> > >
> > > Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 7:43 AM
> > >
> > > To: [email protected]
> > >
> > > Subject: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
> > >
> > > There is a queisce command to put a job to sleep, and I think that's what 
> > > my operator was thinking he was doing, for a runaway job we do use 
> > > automation to queisce a job and send us an alert.
> > >
> > > from SDSF there's a quiesce line command RQ it translates to RESET
> > >
> > > jobname,QUIESCE
> > >
> > > Carmen Vitullo
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > >
> > > From: Radoslaw [email protected]
> > >
> > > To: IBM-MAIN [email protected]
> > >
> > > Date: Wednesday, 24 March 2021 5:35 AM CDT
> > >
> > > Subject: Re: z14 HMC log information
> > >
> > > IMHO not really.
> > >
> > > By freezing the system you disrupt all the online processing and you 
> > > loose capability to find out what's wrong.
> > >
> > > I had to do with CPU hogging tasks and spool 100% filled by some ugly 
> > > job. In both cases the very first thing to fix it was to logon to the 
> > > system.
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Radoslaw Skorupka
> > >
> > > (looking for new job)
> > >
> > > Lodz, Poland
> > >
> > > W dniu 24.03.2021 o 03:30, kekronbekron pisze:
> > >
> > > > It's useful when you want to say "STOP IT!" to run-away CPU or spool 
> > > > jobs.
> > > >
> > > > Will buy you some time to investigate.
> > > >
> > > > -   KB
> > > >
> > > > ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> > > >
> > > > On Tuesday, March 23, 2021 7:07 PM, Pommier, Rex 
> > > > [email protected] wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Hey Carmen,
> > > > >
> > > > > At least you had an operator tell you what they did. :-) Once we 
> > > > > determined what had happened (after a painful middle-of-the-day IPL) 
> > > > > the only response I got back from anybody was "I didn't do anything 
> > > > > like that!" But now that I know what that command does and how it 
> > > > > works I doubt I'll ever forget this one.
> > > > >
> > > > > Rex
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > >
> > > > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On
> > > > >
> > > > > Behalf Of Carmen Vitullo
> > > > >
> > > > > Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2021 7:47 AM
> > > > >
> > > > > To: [email protected]
> > > > >
> > > > > Subject: Re: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
> > > > >
> > > > > WOW! this takes me back 20 years when an operator wanted to quiesce
> > > > >
> > > > > a job and issues that command from the console he called my told me
> > > > >
> > > > > what he did, I researched what that command does, seemed to me it
> > > > >
> > > > > was like on the old system consoles O2 and O3 IIRC one was a PSW
> > > > >
> > > > > stop and one a restart, I found the restart just for grins and it
> > > > >
> > > > > worked, been a long time since I've hear tell someone had that same
> > > > >
> > > > > experience great find
> > > > >
> > > > > Carmen Vitullo
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > >
> > > > > From: Rex [email protected]
> > > > >
> > > > > To: IBM-MAIN [email protected]
> > > > >
> > > > > Date: Monday, 22 March 2021 5:18 PM CDT
> > > > >
> > > > > Subject: Re: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
> > > > >
> > > > > OK, this is embarrassing. We found the problem - but don't know the
> > > > >
> > > > > culprit. We discovered the quiesce command wasn't locked down and
> > > > >
> > > > > somebody somewhere keyed it in. The reason we don't know who/where
> > > > >
> > > > > is because our SDSF-like product had the capability to also do a
> > > > >
> > > > > quiesce and since we didn't know that's what caused it, we IPLed the
> > > > >
> > > > > LPAR. I did some research after the fact to determine just how
> > > > >
> > > > > quiesce works (been working on these things for 30 years and never
> > > > >
> > > > > had a reason to even play with quiesce). Now I know - and I know how
> > > > >
> > > > > to make the machine go again, picking up where it stopped. PSW
> > > > >
> > > > > Restart from the HMC doesn't do what I consider a "restart" but a
> > > > >
> > > > > "take the brakes off and let it run". :-)
> > > > >
> > > > > IBM hardware support found the wait state and informed us of it.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks everybody for the bandwidth and suggestions.
> > > > >
> > > > > Rex
> > > > >
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > >
> > > > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On
> > > > >
> > > > > Behalf Of kekronbekron
> > > > >
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2021 8:50 AM
> > > > >
> > > > > To: [email protected]
> > > > >
> > > > > Subject: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information
> > > > >
> > > > > Please do share when you find out!
> > > > >
> > > > > I wonder if an LPAR with full BCPii authority over the box can 
> > > > > silently query/log information from the HMC for monitoring, i.e., 
> > > > > actions occuring not via BCPii itself, but just accessing HMC logs.
> > > > >
> > > > > -   KB
> > > > >
> > > > > ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
> > > > >
> > > > > On Wednesday, March 17, 2021 6:17 PM, Carmen Vitullo 
> > > > > [email protected] wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > so the only other thing I can think of is if you are in a sysplex 
> > > > > > and your SFM policy took the system out of the plex, XCF may have 
> > > > > > not seen a heartbeat in a long enough time it partitioned the 
> > > > > > system from the plex, I've had this happen before, you should see 
> > > > > > some IXC messages if this happened.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > when this happened to me there was no indication anyone did
> > > > > >
> > > > > > anything the system was just removed from the plex
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Carmen Vitullo
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > >
> > > > > > From: Rex [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To: IBM-MAIN [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Date: Tuesday, 16 March 2021 4:33 PM CDT
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Subject: Re: z14 HMC log information Nothing out of the ordinary in
> > > > > >
> > > > > > the HMC logs.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > >
> > > > > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Behalf Of Carmen Vitullo
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 1:10 PM
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To: [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Subject: [External] Re: z14 HMC log information so it looks like
> > > > > >
> > > > > > one place to check is from the HMC, /console actions/View control
> > > > > >
> > > > > > tasks performed, this may get you what you need another place is
> > > > > >
> > > > > > from console actions, View console events
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Carmen Vitullo
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > >
> > > > > > From: Rex [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To: IBM-MAIN [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Date: Tuesday, 16 March 2021 12:51 PM CDT
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Subject: Re: z14 HMC log information I found the log - nothing in
> > > > > >
> > > > > > it. Heading off to IBM.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Rex
> > > > > >
> > > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > >
> > > > > > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [email protected] On
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Behalf Of Pommier, Rex
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 12:24 PM
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To: [email protected]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Subject: [External] z14 HMC log information Hi all, Probably a
> > > > > >
> > > > > > simple question but I'm not having any luck looking for it so I'm 
> > > > > > asking here.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Is there a centralized place on a z14 HMC to show activity 
> > > > > > occurring, LPAR activation/deactivation, pretty much anything that 
> > > > > > happens on an HMC or on a z. We just took a hit where one of our 
> > > > > > LPARs and we're not seeing anything. No hardware messages, no 
> > > > > > dumps, no nothing. The syslog on the LPAR shows everything running 
> > > > > > as normal then it just stopped, 15 minutes later are the IPL 
> > > > > > starting messages. It almost looks like somebody hit the 
> > > > > > "deactivate" button on the HMC so I'm looking for any log info from 
> > > > > > a hardware point of view.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thanks,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Rex
>
> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
>
> send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
>
> The information contained in this message is confidential, protected from 
> disclosure and may be legally privileged. If the reader of this message is 
> not the intended recipient or an employee or agent responsible for delivering 
> this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any 
> disclosure, distribution, copying, or any action taken or action omitted in 
> reliance on it, is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have 
> received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by 
> replying to this message and destroy the material in its entirety, whether in 
> electronic or hard copy format. Thank you.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
>
> send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN

Reply via email to