VM65972: RACF WON'T START IN SSI IF DB DISK IS UNAVAILABLE

APAR status

• Closed as suggestion for future release.

Error description

• Running on a z/VM 6.3.0 system in an SSI cluster, the
  customer's primary RACF database disk became unusable.
  Symptoms of the unusable database disk include:
  - When attempting to LOGON to a valid userid, the logon failed
    with message
    RPIMGR040T User profile for user ID userid is not defined.
    and on the operator console message
    ICH408I USER(userid  ) GROUP(        ) NAME(???              )
      LOGON/JOB INITIATION - USER AT TERMINAL tid NOT RACF-DEFINED
  - When attempting to LISTUSER a valid userid the LISTUSER failed
    with message
    ICH30001I UNABLE TO LOCATE USER    ENTRY userid
  Because no userid currently logged onto the system had any RACF
  authority, because every userid defined to the system was
  defined to RACF (including RACFVM, RACMAINT, MAINT, MAINT630,
  etc) and because the operator userid was not logged on, the
  customer IPL'd z/VM to attempt to recover.  After IPL'ing z/VM,
  RACFVM would not startup.  Messages
  ICH503I RACF DATA SET NOT FOUND
  ICH502A SPECIFY NAME FOR  RACF DATA SET SEQUENCE nnn OR NONE
  were issued to the operator console, but the operator reply was
  not accepted because the RACFVM machine was sittng in a VM READ
  after message
  RPIVPHSD004E Error getting information for virtual device 200
  The RPIVPHSD004E message is issued by code added to support RACF
  in an SSI environment.  Basically, the code design is that in an
  SSI cluster both the primary and backup RACF database disks must
  be available for RACF to start.
       The customer was able to restore the primary database disk
  and get RACF back up and running on all systems in the SSI
  cluster.  However, the customer questions the soundness of this
  design:  What's the purpose of having a backup RACF database for
  z/VM if there is no way for RACF to fail over to the backup when
  the minidisk for the primary database is corrupted,
  inaccessible or blocked, etc?
  

Local fix

Problem summary

Problem conclusion

Temporary fix

Comments

• This APAR is being closed as a suggestion for system
  improvement.  Further inquiries regarding the closing of this
  APAR should be directed to your IBM SE or the Local Marketing
  Branch office.
  
  The function/operation described is accepted as a requirement
  for long range consideration to future change in the product
  design.
  

APAR Information

• APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

• APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Fix information

Applicable component levels