MVS North System

North System Web Access Is Open for Business

DCRT’s Computing Facilities Branch (CFB) introduces Secure Internet-LinKed (SILK) Web Technology on the North system. This initial SILK facility for the MVS North system will permit much of the data stored on the MVS enterprise system to be accessible through the Web.

SILK provides the ability to make MVS data accessible from the Web using any Web browser. The data may be any type of output supported by Web browsers—including plain text, html, gif, jpeg or other binary files. The Web can now be considered as just another output option like printing or microfiche.

MVS enterprise servers contain huge stores of information but, to utilize Web technologies, usually users have had to download MVS data to another platform. The North system now can use SILK Web technologies to access any sequential data set or PDS member from a Web Browser—and data accessible from a browser can be viewed, printed or stored on a PC by that browser.

Security

The owner of an MVS data set controls access to that data set. Access can be "universal" or can be restricted to individuals or groups by using mainframe RACF commands. SILK data sets are mainframe MVS data sets with full RACF protection—they can be made as secure as any other mainframe data set.

Anyone accessing the North SILK secure server must supply a valid North userid ($III) and RACF password. The userid will be checked for RACF authority to read the data set. It is the data owner’s responsibility to establish and maintain appropriate RACF control of Web accessible MVS data sets.

Naming Convention

Web-accessible data sets must use the following naming convention and must contain "@www" as the third level qualifier. Examples of Web-enabled North system data sets are

AAA.III.@WWW.MYDATA
$III.AAA.@WWW.MYDATA The "@www" naming convention adds an additional layer of security because it prevents Web access to other MVS data sets.

Getting There

The North system’s SILK webpage is http://silkad.nih.gov. (The "ad" after SILK in the address is derived from the previously established North system hostname, AD.NIH.GOV). From that webpage you can also access the two SILK Web servers—public and secure—or you can go directly to their Web addresses.

• Public server         http://silkad.nih.gov/public
This server contains data available to anyone.
Data sets for public access should be defined in RACF with "UACC=READ."

• Secure server        http://silkad.nih.gov/secure
This server utilizes RACF security features for stored data.

You can use both public and secure servers to see any North system data set from the Web by creating a link such as

"Dsname" is your data set name. For example,

Charges for Web Server Use

In addition to MVS storage costs, the cost of using SILK on the North system is a flat monthly fee—$20 charged each month to every user who stores Web-accessible data sets on MVS disk packs. Whether you have one or a hundred data sets, the monthly surcharge is just $20.

How Do I Get Started?

Getting started is very simple:

• Create a data set on the MVS system with "@www" as the third level qualifier in the data set name.
• Use your Web browser to go to the North System’s SILK webpages.
• Enter the data set name on the secure or public webpage in order to display, download or print that data set. For more information concerning SILK Web technology on the MVS North system, call TASC at (301) 594-3278.

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