MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS Overview
The MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS v3.5.0 (z/MQAUSX) is a solution that allows a company to fully authenticate a user who is accessing an IBM MQ resource. It authenticates the user's UserID and Password against the server's native z/OS system or File Based Authentication.
The security exit will operate with IBM MQ v7.1, v8.0, v9.0, v9.1, v9.2, v9.3 and v9.4 in z/OS v1.4 or higher environments. It works with Server Connection, Client Connection, Sender, Receiver, Server, Requester, Cluster-Sender and Cluster-Receiver channels of IBM MQ queue manager.
The MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS solution is comprised of 2 components: client-side security exit and server-side security exit.
- z/MQAUSX is 4 products in 1:
- If the client application is configured with the client-side security exit then the user credentials are encrypted and sent to the remote queue manager. This is the best level of security.
- If the client application is not configured with the client-side security exit and both the client-side AND server-side are at MQ V8 then MQ V8 will encrypt the user credentials as they flow from the client application to the queue manager.
- If the client application is not configured with the client-side security exit then the user credentials are sent in plain text to the remote queue manager. This feature is available for Java/JMS, Java and C# DotNet client applications. For native applications (i.e. C/C++), then the application must use and populate the MQCSP structure with the UserID and Password.
- Using z/MQAUSX with No Client-side Security Exit - Part 1 (coding examples)
- Using z/MQAUSX with No Client-side Security Exit - Part 2 (configuring tools like MQ Explorer, SupportPac MO71, etc..)
- If the MQAdmin sets the z/MQAUSX IniFile parameter NoAuth to Y then it functions just like z/MQSSX. z/MQSSX does not authenticate. It filters the incoming connection based on UserID, IP address and/or SSL DN.
Client-Side Security Exit Summary
- The client-side security exit is available in 4 forms:
- Windows DLL (both 32-bit & 64-bit)
- Windows DLL for managed .NET (both 32-bit & 64-bit)
- Java JAR
- Non-GUI shared library for AIX, HP-UX, IBM i (OS/400), Linux and Solaris
- The client-side security exit has been tested against the following MQ client programs:
- IBM's MQ Explorer
- SupportPac MO71 (MQMon)
- IBM's WBIMB Eclipse Tool Kit
- WebSphere Message Broker Explorer V8.0 or higher
- IBM DataPower
- BMC Middleware Management - Administration (BMM Admin)
- BMC's Administration for IBM MQ (AppWatch)
- webMethods MQ Adapter
- Mercury's SiteScope
- Capitalware's MQ Visual Edit, MQ Visual Browse, MQ Batch Toolkit & Universal File Mover
- J2EE application servers (i.e. WebLogic, WebSphere, JBoss, etc.)
- Any program that uses Client Channel Tables (i.e. SupportPac MS03, WatchQ, etc.)
- Complete programming examples that utilize the client-side security exit:
- 8 examples for the C programming language
- 8 examples for the C++ programming language
- 8 examples for the C# .NET programming language
- 12 examples for the Java and Java/JMS programming language
- 4 examples for the VB programming language
Server-Side Security Exit Summary
- The server-side security exit is available as:
- z/OS load-module
- The server-side security exit major features are:
- Authenticate a user against the server's native z/OS or using File Based Authentication
- Provides support for Proxy UserIDs
- Ability to assign a Password to a queue manager for client authentication
- Allows or restricts the incoming IP address against a regular expression pattern
- Allows or restricts the incoming Hostname against a regular expression pattern
- Allow or restrict the incoming SSL DN against a regular expression pattern
- Allow or restrict the incoming UserID against a regular expression pattern
- Limit the number of incoming channel connections on a SVRCONN channel.
- Allow or restrict the use of the 'CHIN' or CHIN's started-task UserIDs
- Ability to use a Credential Cache to speed up authentication
- Includes a CHAD exit used to secure cluster channels
- Ability to turn off server-side authentication
- Allow or restrict the incoming UserID against a regular expression pattern when authentication is off
- Ability to set the maximum number of allowable connections per a given channel (MCC)
- Ability to monitor for excessive client connections (ECC) and then generate an alert
- Provides logging capability for all connecting client applications regardless if they were successful or not.
- Provides logging capability via Write To Operator (WTO) facility.
Pricing
- The client-side security exits are included for FREE and can be distributed to an unlimited number of remote servers or PCs with MQ client applications (the user only pays for the server-side licenses).
- The server-side security exits are provided in the format of a native z/OS load-module for z/OS v1.4 or higher. The pricing of Capitalware's MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS solution is on a 'per queue manager' basis.
| Product | Price (USD) * | Ordering |
| MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS (per license**) | $3990.00 | |
| Yearly maintenance and support fee | 15% | |
| Total | $4590.00 |
* Volume discounts available for as low as $2990.00 USD per license plus 15% yearly maintenance and support fee.
** MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS is licensed on a per z/OS queue manager basis.
- Each licensed user will receive:
- Full version of MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS
- Free updates / upgrades to any version 3.x release.
- Email/ Help Desk support
| Enterprise License for MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS: |
| Enterprise License for MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS sells for $75,000 USD plus 15% yearly maintenance and support fee. An enterprise license will allow a company to have unlimited number of z/OS queue managers use MQ Authenticate User Security Exit for z/OS at an unlimited number of locations. |