Protecting data with VSAM passwords

You can take advantage of VSAM password protection to prevent non-IMS programs from reading VSAM data sets on which you have your IMS databases.

To protect data with VSAM passwords, enable password protection for your VSAM data sets by coding either PASSWD=YES on the DBD statement or, if support for DDL is enabled, PASSWDYES in the CREATE or ALTER DATABASE DDL statement. IMS then passes the DBD name as the password. If you do not enable password protection for your VSAM data sets, the console operator is prompted to provide a password to VSAM each time the data set is opened.

This method is only useful in the batch environment, and VSAM password checking is bypassed entirely in the online system. (If you have RACF® installed, you can use it to protect VSAM data sets.)