How to configure client certificate authentication with RACF

Configure a IBM® z/OS® Connect server to perform authentication of the identity in a TLS client certificate, mapping the certificate to a RACF® user ID, and then granting that user ID authority to access IBM z/OS Connect resources.

This task is applicable when IBM z/OS Connect is used as an API provider.

Before you begin

  • You should be familiar with the information in API provider authentication and identification.
  • You must have completed the task How to activate and configure the SAF user registry to configure the IBM z/OS Connect server to use z/OS authorized services and a SAF user registry.
  • You must have configured a TLS connection between the REST client and the IBM z/OS Connect server with TLS client authentication enabled. For example, by completing the steps in the task How to configure TLS with RACF key rings.
  • You need to know the subject value of the client certificate to be mapped.
  • You need to know the user ID to which the TLS client certificate will be mapped, and this user ID must exist and have an OMVS segment.
  • You must have authorization to issue the RACDCERT MAP command. For more information about the RACDCERT commands and the authorizations that are required, see RACDCERT (Manage RACF digital certificates) in the z/OS Security Server RACF Command Language Reference.
  • You must have write access to the server.xml configuration file.

About this task

This task assumes that RACF is used as security manager. If you are using an alternative External Security Manager, refer to the appropriate product documentation for the equivalent commands.

You use RACF certificate name filtering, also called user ID mapping, to map the TLS client certificate to a RACF user ID. You then configure the IBM z/OS Connect server to require authentication, by setting the attribute requireAuth="true".

During authentication, the IBM z/OS Connect server will call RACF to perform the mapping resulting in the mapped RACF user ID being the authenticated user ID.

Procedure

  1. Activate the RACF DIGTNMAP class to allow certifcate name filters to be created or changed.
    Enter the following RACF command:
    SETROPTS CLASSACT(DIGTNMAP) RACLIST(DIGTNMAP)
  2. Map the TLS client certificate to a RACF user ID.
    Enter the following command to use RACF certificate name filtering to map the client certificate to a RACF user ID.
    RACDCERT MAP ID(EMPLOY1) SDNFILTER('CN=myClient.host.com.O=IBM.C=US') WITHLABEL('ClientCertEMPLOY1')
    The command uses the following values:
    • EMPLOY1 is the RACF user ID to which the client certificate is to be mapped.
    • CN=myClient.host.com.O=IBM.C=US is the subject distinguished name filter which corresponds to the client certificate subject's distinguished name value of CN=myClient.host.com, O=IBM, C=US. The syntax of the SDNFILTER is significant, use periods to separate the components of the distinguished name and remove any spaces between DN components.
    • ClientCertEMPLOY1 is a label for the mapping.
    For the full syntax of the RACDCERT MAP command, see RACDCERT MAP (Create mapping) in the z/OS Security Server RACF Command Language Reference.
  3. Refresh the DIGTNMAP RACF class.
    For the changes to take effect. enter the following RACF command:
    SETROPTS RACLIST(DIGTNMAP) REFRESH
  4. Ensure that the server is configured to require authentication for the request.
    This can be set at various scopes:
    • To require authentication globally for the server, set requireAuth="true" on the zosconnect_zosConnectManager element in the server.xml configuration file. For example,
      <zosconnect_zosConnectManager requireAuth="true"... />
    • To require authentication for a specific API, which takes precedence over the global server setting, set requireAuth="true" on the zosConnectAPI element in the server.xml configuration file. For example, 
      <zosconnect_zosConnectAPIs>
    <zosConnectAPI name="Api1"
        requireAuth="true"/>
 </zosconnect_zosConnectAPIs>
    • To require authentication for a specific service, which takes precedence over the global server setting, set requireAuth="true" on the service element in the server.xml configuration file. For example,
      <zosconnect_services>
    <service name="Service1"
        requireAuth="true"/>
</zosconnect_services>
    For more information about these elements see Configuration elements in the Reference section.
  5. Assign the mapped RACF user ID to the zosConnectAccess role.
    Follow the instructions in the task How to configure the zosConnectAccess role with a SAF user registry.
  6. Ensure the Liberty profile angel process is running.
    To use z/OS authorized services for SAF authentication and authorization, the Liberty profile angel process must be running for the server to connect to. In one of the prerequisite tasks listed in the "Before you begin" section, you created a started task to run the Liberty angel process and granted permission for the IBM z/OS Connect server to access it.

    To start the angel process, start the associated started task. Enter the following MVS command from SDSF,

    /S BAQZANGL

    For more information about starting the angel process and checking that it started successfully, see Start the Angel process as a started task in Configuring the Liberty Angel process and z/OS authorized services.

  7. Start, or restart the server if it was already running, to pick up the changes made to the RACF class profiles.

Results

The TLS client certificate is mapped to a RACF user ID, and is authorized to access IBM z/OS Connect.

What to do next

You might now be interested in configuring more specific authorization. See the task How to configure authorization levels with a SAF user registry.