Re: Modifying an exit point program -- MIDRANGE-L

Just a nudge to get into a potential solution.

Is the user to device assignment something you could hide in the user profile? Consider using the accounting code (if you don't already use it), or the last half of the text to store the assignment. You could of course create a table with the user profile and device to look up at signon time. Again all this can be done in the routing program or user initial program if you don't care about the subsystem end of it.

Now you have no reliance on the network at all for the information. You can put together an easy CL program that folks use to create the user profile that include prompts for the devices etc and do the proper updates.

Jim Oberholtzer
Chief Technical Architect
Agile Technology Architects

On 2/13/2012 10:08 AM, rob@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

I feel your pain. I can see how someone would do this but it wouldn't
work for us. People on the same subnet here may use different printers.
Our application software uses a data area for each persons default
printer. Granted, specialty items have different overrides. Some people
just have it go to a dummy and move them to a real printer when they
physically want to print it. Again, think of the person who's laptop is
always moving around.

If you just really want to stick with a close derivative of this perhaps
you can do ranges of IP addresses. Most DHCP setups would be using that
anyway. Try to work with your network people on this. DHCP, other than
servers, is really where you want to go. Be flexible. Assume that you'll
redo all this in 3 years or less (like going to IP6 or some such thing).
Or being bought and new network admins coming in and saying "thou shalt
have DHCP and your range of addresses will be this...". Because at that
time you'll be inundated with merge issues and minutia of ip addressing of
your printing will not be your highest priority.

Rob Berendt
-- Group Dekko Dept 1600 Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive Garrett, IN 46738 Ship to: Dock 108 6928N 400E Kendallville, IN 46755 http://www.dekko.com From: John McKee <jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, Date: 02/13/2012 10:27 AM Subject: Re: Modifying an exit point program Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx One of the biggest reasons for this device assignment, if not using DHCP is to allow users to print reports to a known printer. Some functions initiate printing from a batch job, basically a NEP, and users don't have the option of specifying a printer. Maybe that is an application issue, but it is what it is. The application is not developed in-house. John McKee On Mon, Feb 13, 2012 at 7:16 AM, <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> This just sounds like too much work for me. In this day and age of
> laptops I may connect to my system from DHCP address on wire on my desk.
> > From some wireless address in the conference room. From a wireless, or
> wired, address from our corporate office. Or from our VPN access.

There's

> no way I'd constantly change my device names on my 5250 sessions to

always

> match where I am connecting from. Can you imagine trying to explain

that

> logic to some mobile bean counter in accounting?
>
> I wrote our FTP exit point. I used to say that they had to come from a
> particular address (or range). However a vast majority of our trading
> partners could do tricks like IPCONFIG at their DOS prompt (after the

3rd

> day of explanation) but rarely could tell me their NATted address. And
> then I had this 'major customer' whose ftp person was a mobile user,
> including doing work in between her night classes at college.
> Much of this is now handled by our network consultant. And when I told
> him I wanted it opened to the world and we would handle it by user id's
> and passwords he wanted it in writing. Basically we had the same

problems

> with the same users. Granted, we may block a range of addresses used by
> certain foreign entities for nefarious purposes. But that I would do at
> the network level. Oh, I'll grant you that there's some argument to be
> made for defense in depth.
>
> Your SA was not a nut. At one time it was a generally accepted practice
> to do such stuff. The IBM i still has a system value to limit which
> terminals QSECOFR can sign on to. The theory being you could limit them
> to the system console. Which would be in a secured room where you could
> keep an eye on what they were doing.
>
> Rob Berendt
> --
> Group Dekko
> Dept 1600
> Mail to: 2505 Dekko Drive
> Garrett, IN 46738
> Ship to: Dock 108
> 6928N 400E
> Kendallville, IN 46755
> http://www.dekko.com
>
>
>
>
>
> From: John McKee<jmmckee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion<midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> Date: 02/12/2012 08:48 PM
> Subject: Re: Modifying an exit point program
> Sent by:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
> This is related to my original question. The sa coded the exit point
> program to examine the first three characters of the device. If they
> were not equal to 'VPN', then the IP address is used to look up a
> device name in a file. No device name means no signon screen is
> allowed. If the first three characters were equal to 'VPN' then the
> device name is check for existance and that the status is VARY ON
> PENDING. If those conditions are met, then signon is allowed.
>
> I tried to find out the origin of this logic. Nobody knows. The only
> thing I learned is that there was speculation that this was for system
> security. The system is not directly connected to the internet. From
> outside, somebody would have to have a login to the corporate office,
> then would have to have access to my facility, and then would have to
> have access to the i itself. Finally, they would need to supply a
> valid, existing device name.
>
> Does the logic that requires a device name starting with "VPN" offer
> any additional security? To me, any additional security that might be
> offered is minima, at best.
>
> What I am left with is to either add multiple additional tests to the
> login exit point program - no idea how many, or remove that validation
> piece. Which was why I asked earlier about adding more tests and if
> "and" worked in free format. Just seems to be making the logic more
> complicated than necessary.
>
> This mess was brought to a head due to the network guys wanting to use
> DHCP for internal new devices. The external devices come throught the
> corporate firewall and get NAT addresses that we are not informed
> about.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> John McKee
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 1:47 PM, Monnier, Gary<Gary.Monnier@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:

>> John,
>>
>> Not equal is<>
>>
>> The System does not have to be in a restricted state for the telnet

exit

> point. The exit program is only called when a telnet session first
> starts.

>>
>> You can "move" the recreated program into the target library. All the

> normal cautions apply - ownership, authorizations, adopt authority, etc.

>> It is much easier to have the object you are going to move match the

> target object before you "install" it.

>>
>> The only difficulty you may encounter is if someone is starting a

telnet

> session when you "install" your change.

>>
>> Gary Monnier
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [

> mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John McKee

>> Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 11:12 AM
>> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
>> Subject: Modifying an exit point program
>>
>> An exit point program is installed on QIBM_QTG_DEVINIT
>>
>> It contains a single line that needs to be changed. It is free format.

> Existing line is testing for first three characters equal to "VPN"

>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> 1) What is the not equal operator in free format RPG? Is it != or<>,

> or something else?

>> 2) I recall the discussion on a mediator program. I can't recall if it

> was only needed for a data file change, or for any program change.

>> Does system have to be in restricted state to make this change?
>> 3) Does recompile of the program into the target library accomplish all

> changes, or does the exit point have to be dropped an readded?

>>
>> I ask, since I may be "asked" to make the changes. The person who

> functioned as sa, does not necessarily do this anymore.

>>
>> John McKee
>> --