II13997: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT APPLYING RACF DATABASE TEMPLATES OVER Z/OS V1R5 (AND NOT REALLY PERTINENT PAST THAT LINE)

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• INTRAN

Error description

• .
  .-----------------------------------------------------------
  .     NEW UPDATE - DATED  FRIDAY 05/16/2008.  RdH RACF lvl2-
  .-----------------------------------------------------------
  Keywords: IRRMIN00 TEMPLATES DYNAMIC IPL ICH579E OA07917
  
  
  The INTENT of this INFO apar was for customers bridging (as in
    going over) the z/OS V1R5 line..
  i.e  from 1.3 or 1.4  to 1.5 (or 1.6)
       from 1.4         to 1.6 (or 1.7)
  keeping in mind the n to n-3 recommended guideline sharing
  
  
  ONCE all your lpars are past (and today, WAY past) 1.5 this
  info apar is NOT as critical to strictly adhere to...
  
  Ideally, you pre-apply the templates as before using that
   APF authorized STEPLIB to the uplevel LINKLIB (from the
   current z/OS level)
  Or ==if you FORGET to== this message:
  ICH579E RACF TEMPLATES ON DATABASE ARE DOWNLEVEL: FMID or APAR
       rrrrrrrr.aaaaaaaa; USING TEMPLATES AT LEVEL FMID or APAR
       rrrrrrrr.aaaaaaaa  FROM IRRTEMP2. RUN IRRMIN00 PARM=UPDATE
  will simply remind you to DO so (to RUN IRRMIN00 PARM=UPDATE)
  .
  .
  Some rules of thumb:
  1) apply templates - they are downward compatable
  2) ALWAYS use the same level of dynamic parse as the z/OS
     software level it's used with (vanilla proc - IRRDPTAB,
     does this as long as IRRDPSDS stays in SYS1.SAMPLIB)..
  3) always run your IRRUTxxx utils from the highest level
     z/OS sharing the DB...
  .
  .
  .
  It ought not be more complicated than that...
  .
  .
  .      END OF NEW UPDATE 5/16.   RdH
  ================================================================
  .
  In the past it WAS a requirement to always update the RACF data-
  base templates before the first IPL of a new maint level (be it
  PUT or release) if the templates changed..
  Failure to do that resulted in various anomolies. 1) Abends in
  RACF initialization, 2) failures of dynamic parse to start,
  which in turn led to command parsing failures, 3) various and
  sundry other errors..
  .
  .
  This has changed drastically at z/OS V1R5 and above....
  .
  Usually, it is _still_ a good thing to update your templates
  on the database (before that first IPL), but now please
  read thus info apar for certain cases where delaying that may
  make sense (but not having any problems in the interim, either).
  .
  -- see RACF APAR OA07917
     This documents a situation where after applying the RACF
     database templates for 1.5 (or higher) and then processing
     soley on z/OS V1R4 or lower, some utilities may not work.
     They can be steplib'd to, but this is an informational APAR
     designed to give other options...
  -- Instead of applying the templates to the database, you
     can simply IPL with the database at z/OS V1R4 level and
     note what occurs...
  *You should see this message near RACF mainline initialization*
  ...
  ICH579E RACF TEMPLATES ON DATABASE ARE DOWNLEVEL: FMID or APAR
       rrrrrrrr.aaaaaaaa; USING TEMPLATES AT LEVEL FMID or APAR
       rrrrrrrr.aaaaaaaa  FROM IRRTEMP2. RUN IRRMIN00 PARM=UPDATE
  it's just a bit before this message appears...
  ICH520I z/OS Security Server (RACF xxxxxxx) is active.
  .
  Interpreting this message, it tells us that 1) the templates
  on this RACF database are down level 2) so, we will use the
  correct ones, not from the database, but from our new source,
  csect IRRTEMP2. 3) You should update them on the database at
  your first opportunity.  Several utilites NEED them on the DB.
  << this also means that this IPL is okay, the templates in
  storage are correct, and everything should work ... >>
  .
  .
  But, it is #3 that I wish to discuss in this INFO apar..
  .
  If this IPL (the one producing the above ICH579E message)
  is JUST a test of the new z/OS and you intend to fall back
  to z/OS V1R4 then consider NOT applying the templates..
  This will keep you from being in the situation that apar
  OA07917 documents and will keep you from needing to
  STEPLIB to the older version of IRRUT400.
  .
  This info apar is intended to only cover the situation where
  an IPL briefly introduces a RACF database/LPAR to templates
  above z/OS V1.R4...
  .
  RdH
  

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