APPC PEM support for external security interface
Password expiration management provides support for the External Security Interface (ESI). The ESI is not part of CICS® Transaction server for z/OS®, but it allows a non-CICS application to invoke services provided by advanced APPC PEM. ESI provides additional functions which make it easier for a non-CICS application to change and verify a password.
The 2 functions provided by ESI are as follows:
- CICS_VerifyPassWord
- Allows a client application to verify that a password matches the password recorded by RACF®, or an equivalent external security manager, for a specified user ID.
- CICS_ChangePassWord
- Allows a client application to change the password recorded by RACF for a specified user ID.
These functions allow a non-CICS application program to act as a PEM requestor without the application programmer having to manage an APPC conversation which implies knowledge of the formats for PEM requests and replies, and of the interface to the local SNA server.