Overview of custom fields

Custom fields are fields within the RACF® database that you customize to store security information about the RACF profiles at your installation. You can tailor the names and attributes of custom fields. Once you define custom fields, use RACF commands, such as the ALTUSER and ALTGROUP to add data to custom fields.

For each custom field, you can customize the following attributes:
  • The name of the custom field, which is used as the RACF command operand for TSO/E commands.
  • The data type for the custom field. Choose character, numeric, hexadecimal, or flag (YES or NO) fields.
  • The help text for each custom field.
  • The output heading for the listing commands:
    • LISTUSER
    • LISTGRP
    • RLIST
    • LISTDSD
  • The acceptable values for the data in each field based on data type. You can customize several options, including the following:
    • For character fields, you can customize maximum length, restrict the character contents, and allow mixed-case characters.
    • For numeric fields, you can customize maximum value and minimum value.
    • For hexadecimal fields, you can customize the maximum length.

    Your installation can provide additional customization by tailoring exit routines to validate custom field data. For details, see Custom field validation exit (IRRVAF01) in z/OS® Security Server RACF System Programmer's Guide. Alternatively, you can implement your validation in a System REXX exec. The name of the exec is specified in the custom field definition. For more information on writing the REXX exec, see VALREXX in z/OS Security Server RACF System Programmer's Guide.

Define custom fields and their attributes for profiles using the RDEFINE command. Each custom field and its attributes is stored in the CFDEF segment of a general resource profile in the CFIELD class. (For details about naming the CFIELD profiles that define your custom fields, see Profiles in the CFIELD class.)

Add custom field data to RACF profiles using:
  • The ADDUSER or ALTUSER command for user profiles.
  • The ADDGROUP or ALTGROUP command for group profiles.
  • The ADDSD or ALTDSD command for data set profiles.
  • The RALTER or RDEFINE command for general resource profiles.
For example, if a custom field named DIVISION is defined at your installation, you might add a division name for a user by issuing the following command:
Example:
ALTUSER ROBIN CSDATA(DIVISION(SALES))

Custom field data in profiles is stored in the CSDATA segment of these profiles. You can list custom field data using the CSDATA keyword of the listing commands.