How to enter RACF TSO commands

The following sections describe how to enter RACF® TSO commands. You can enter RACF TSO commands directly in the foreground during a TSO terminal session or by using the RACF ISPF panels.

You can enter commands in the background by using a batch job. You cannot use alias data set names in the RACF commands or panels. Alias names are alternative names for a data set that are defined in the catalog. RACF does not allow alias names because RACF uses the RACF database, not the catalog, for its processing.

Additional authorization for using the ISPF panels: You must authorize general users to use ISPF panels to add data to custom fields in user and group profiles. For details, see "Authorizing users to update data in custom fields" in z/OS Security Server RACF Security Administrator's Guide.