Basics of z/OS RACF Administration Course Overview

To ensure a comprehensive understanding and successful completion of the Basics of z/OS RACF Administration course, participants should possess the following minimum prerequisites:

• Basic knowledge of IBM z/OS operating system and its components.
• Familiarity with z/Architecture, including an understanding of mainframe hardware and operating system concepts.
• Fundamental skills in using TSO/ISPF (Time Sharing Option/Interactive System Productivity Facility) for navigating and manipulating mainframe datasets.
• An understanding of basic job submission and Job Control Language (JCL) to run batch jobs on z/OS.
• A grasp of data management concepts, such as datasets and how they are allocated, catalogued, and accessed within z/OS.
• Awareness of security concepts and the significance of data protection within an enterprise computing environment.

These prerequisites are intended to provide a foundation that will help learners more effectively absorb the course material and apply the concepts of RACF Administration in real-world scenarios. No advanced skills are required, and the course is designed to build upon these basic competencies.

Target Audience for Basics of z/OS RACF Administration

The Basics of z/OS RACF Administration course equips participants with key skills in z/OS security management.

• IT Security Administrators
• System Programmers
• Mainframe System Engineers
• RACF Security Specialists
• Compliance and Audit Personnel dealing with mainframe security
• Mainframe Support Analysts
• IT Professionals looking to specialize in z/OS security
• Technical Support Staff for z/OS and RACF environments
• Data Center Operations Staff working with z/OS systems

Learning Objectives - What you will Learn in this Basics of z/OS RACF Administration?

Introduction to the Basics of z/OS RACF Administration Course Learning Outcomes:

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to administer security on a z/OS system using Resource Access Control Facility (RACF).

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

• Understand the architecture of z/OS and the role of RACF in maintaining system security.
• Navigate and utilize ISPF and ISPF/PDF for data set manipulation and batch job processing.
• Grasp data management concepts and the data set allocation process within z/OS.
• Define, use, and manage data sets, including allocation, editing, and deletion, through ISPF/PDF.
• Comprehend the Job Entry Subsystem 2 (JES2) job processing phases and submit batch jobs.
• Learn to handle job output using ISPF 3.8 and System Display and Search Facility (SDSF).
• Identify the four major functions of RACF and how it controls access to resources.
• Create and manage RACF user and group profiles, implementing an administrative structure.
• Protect z/OS data sets by defining generic and discrete data set profiles and understanding RACF authorization checking.
• Configure RACF with appropriate options for an installation, ensuring a secure and efficient environment.