PQ75431: HASH / POUND SIGN SYMBOL '#' IS A VALID CHARACTER FOR THE FIRST CHARACTER IN RACF GROUP DEFINITION, BBOMCFG JOB DOES NOT HANDLE

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APAR status
Closed as program error.

Error description
The WebSphere Installation Panels have you enter the RACF Group
ID's as part of the Security definition panels.  The information
from these panels are then used to build JCL to be submitted
after the Customization Dialog is completed.
The definition of the RACF Group allows the first character to
be the 'hash / pound sign' symbol '#'.
If the first character is the '#' symbol, the BBOMCFG JCL gets
generated with the '-GROUP  #GNAME' parameter, (note that the
'group name' DOES have the '#' character as the first character
When this JOB is submitted however, the '#' is not handled
correctly.
The users need the ability to enter in the group names as they
are defined to their security scheme.
Local fix
You can run the BBOMCFG JCL successfully, by editing the JCL
and placing the group name within quotes (both single quotes and
double quotes work) as shown in the following example:
.
Line in BBOMCFG generated by the dialog:
 -GROUP      #WASCFG +
.
Edited Line
 -GROUP      "#WASCFG" +
.
or
.
 -GROUP      '#WASCFG' +
.
After adding the quotes around the value which contains the
# character the job can be submitted, and the value will be
passed to the shell script (bbowhfs1.sh) correctly.
Problem summary
****************************************************************
* USERS AFFECTED: All users of WebSphere Application Server    *
*                 V5.0 for z/OS                                *
****************************************************************
* PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Incorrect GROUP used when request GROUP *
*                      that starts with '#'.  Results in       *
*                      subsequent access failures in all jobs. *
****************************************************************
* RECOMMENDATION:                                              *
****************************************************************
Customer specified a RACF group of '#ABCDE' for the default
WebSphere config group.  When the dialog created the RACF
group and HFS ownership, the HFS ownership used was the
default.  This was due to the BBOMCFG job treating the
character '#' as the start of a comment within the BPXBATCH
invocation. The string needs to be quoted to prevent the '#'
(pound sign) from being treated like a comment.
Problem conclusion
Updated WebSphere dialog to quote configured values used for
security (userid and group names).  With the strings quoted,
the pound sign (#) is not treated as the start of a comment.
This problems affects customers who start their RACF group
name with a pound sign (#).

APAR PQ75431 is associated with SERVICE LEVEL W500103 of
WebSphere Application Server V5.0 for z/OS.
Temporary fix Comments
APAR information
APAR number PQ75431
Reported component name WEBSPHERE FOR Z
Reported component ID 5655I3500
Reported release 500
Status CLOSED PER
PE NoPE
HIPER NoHIPER
Special Attention NoSpecatt
Submitted date 2003-06-19
Closed date 2003-08-01
Last modified date 2003-09-05

APAR is sysrouted FROM one or more of the following:

APAR is sysrouted TO one or more of the following:

Modules/Macros
BBOUBINF          

Publications Referenced

Fix information
Fixed component name WEBSPHERE FOR Z
Fixed component ID 5655I3500

Applicable component levels
R500 PSY UQ79132    UP03/08/08 P F308

  Fix is available
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Document Information


Current web document: swg1PQ75431.html
Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server for z/OS
Operating system(s):
Software version: 500
Software edition:
Reference #: PQ75431
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Sep 5, 2003