HP NonStop Server Security

VIEWSYS accesses the same system tables as MEASURE and PEEK, but

VIEWSYS does not write to any of these tables and doesn’t affect PEEK statistics.

Therefore, VIEWSYS can be run at the same time as MEASURE and PEEK.

RISK VIEWSYS is a report program and poses no security risks. VIEWSYS

uses very little system overhead. It is generally run to monitor system

performance.

Securing VIEWSYS

BP-FILE-VIEWSYS-01 VIEWSYS should be secured “UUNU”.

BP-OPSYS-OWNER-02 VIEWSYS should be owned by SUPER.SUPER.

BP-OPSYS-FILELOC-02 VIEWSYS must reside in $SYSTEM.SYSTEM.

Discovery Questions Look Here:

OPSYS-OWNER-02 Who owns the VIEWSYS object file? Fileinfo

FILE-VIEWSYS-01 Is the VIEWSYS object file secured correctly? Fileinfo

Related Topics

Operating System

Virtual Hometerm Subsystem (VHS)

VHS acts as a virtual home terminal for applications by emulating a terminal. It runs as

a named process, usually $VHS.

VHS receives messages normally sent to the home terminal, such as displays,

application prompts, run-time library errors, and Inspect or Debug prompts. VHS

uses these messages to generate event messages to the EMS collector to inform opera-

tions staff of problems.

VHS can be used with operator console applications, such as ViewPoint or Non-

Stop NET/MASTER software, to highlight system or application problems.

VHS improves operations productivity by helping to avoid three known problems

related to using dedicated physical home terminals:

Inability of operations staff to find and respond to critical messages because of the

large volume of routine messages.

Need for constant monitoring of physical home terminals by operations staff.

Virtual Hometerm Subsystem (VHS) 515

Part 6

Loss of productivity due to a stopped terminal that is waiting for a response. VHS

emulates a terminal, but does not have the disadvantages of a single, dedicated physical

terminal. VHS gives the following benefits over a physical terminal:

Easy access to critical application messages

Centralized message handling

Freeing up of physical terminals

Automated handling of Inspect or Debug prompts

Improved availability of applications to end users

Highlighted information to expedite problem resolution

RISK $VHS, the Virtual Hometerm Subsystem, is widely used on HP Non-

Stop systems. There is no risk associated with this product.

AP-ADVICE-VHS-01 If there are processes relying upon the availability of

$VHS, then $VHS should be running.

The VHS Components

The VHS subsystem consists of the following components (See Figure 6-10):

516 Virtual Hometerm Subsystem (VHS)

Consumer

Distributor

Automation

Software

EMS

Collector

$VHS Application

Inspect or

Debug

Management

Applications

VHS

Subsystem

Application

Environment

Console

Facilities

VHS

Inspect

File

VHS

Prompt

File

VHS

Primary

Log File

EMS

Log

SAVEABEND

File

Figure 6-10

VHS

Components

VHS Process

VHS Conversational Interface (VHSCI)

VHS Pathway Browser Application

VHSCSTM

VHS Prompt File

VHS sends event messages to the EMS collector and optionally to a console facility

for display only.

VHS

The $VHS process receives messages of many types from many sources. VHS manages

six types of messages: open messages, display messages, Inspect prompts, Debug

prompts, application prompts, and reply messages. The VHS process emulates a hard-

copy terminal.

VHS is an application that is normally run from a separate subvolume on

$SYSTEM, usually, $SYSTEM.VHS. The VHS object file is VHS.

VHSCSTM

The VHSCSTM file is used to customize each user’s VHSCI session. Please refer to the

Gazette section on *CSTM Configuration Files.

VHS Conversational Interface

VHS conversational interface (VHSCI) is used to configure and query the VHS

process. This is normally only used by the person responsible for starting, stopping and

configuring $VHS.

VHS Primary Log File Set

The VHS Audit Trail contains all of the messages received by VHS . The audit trail is

made up of up to five files. The logs are kept in the $SYSTEM.VHS subvolume as

ALOGnnn.

VHS Prompt File

VHS stores application prompt messages in the Prompt File.

Virtual Hometerm Subsystem (VHS) 517

Part 6

VHS Browser

The VHS Pathway Browser makes the VHS Audit Trail and Prompt files accessible to

general users. Through Pathway screens, messages can be reviewed, searches for spe-

cific messages can be requested, and messages can be printed.

The components to the VHS Pathway Browser are:

PATHCTL

POBJDIR

POBJCOD

VHSBCONF

VHSBHELP

VHSBSVR

VHSBTEXT

Securing VHS Components

BP-PROCESS-VHS-01 $VHS process should be running.

BP-FILE-VHS-01 VHS should be secured “UUCU”.

BP-OPSYS-OWNER-03 VHS should be owned by SUPER.SUPER.

BP-OPSYS-FILELOC-03 VHS resides in $SYSTEM.VHS.

BP-FILE-VHS-02 VHSCI should be secured “UUNU”.

BP-OPSYS-OWNER-03 VHSCI should be owned by SUPER.SUPER.

BP-OPSYS-FILELOC-03 VHSCI resides in $SYSTEM.VHS.

BP-PROCESS-ZVHS-01 $ZVHS process should be running.

BP-FILE-VHS-03 VHS Browser Pathway application should be secured

“NUNU”.

BP-OPSYS-OWNER-03 VHS Browser components should be owned by

SUPER.SUPER.

BP-OPSYS-FILELOC-03 VHS Browser components reside in

$SYSTEM.VHS.

If available, use Safeguard software or a third party object security product to grant

access to VHS object files to necessary personnel, and deny access to all other VHS .

BP-SAFE-VHS –01 Add a Safeguard Protection Record to grant appropriate

access to the VHS object file.

518 Virtual Hometerm Subsystem (VHS)