Recovering RACF discrete profiles

If a recovered data set was cataloged and RACF-indicated when it was backed up or when it was recovered or restored, DFSMShsm tries to recover the RACF® discrete profile for the data set even if you specified the NOPROFILEBACKUP parameter of the SETSYS command or if the profile already exists.

DFSMShsm creates a RACF discrete profile during recovery by performing the following actions:

  1. Modeling the new profile after the original profile, and if that isn't possible,
  2. Modeling the new profile after the backup profile and if that isn't possible,
  3. Creating a minimal discrete profile.

DFSMShsm tries to recover the RACF discrete profile by using the profile of the original data set as a model for creating a profile. If the original data set’s profile no longer exists, DFSMShsm tries to create a profile by using a backup profile for the model.

If a backup profile does not exist, DFSMShsm tries to create a minimal discrete profile. A minimal discrete profile is one for which DFSMShsm supplies no access list and no model profile. The access authority with which users can address the data set is taken from the defaults defined for the user (or group if the high-level qualifier is a group name). If a DFSMShsm-authorized user recovers the data sets, defaults are taken from the user ID associated with the DFSMShsm-started procedure.

DFSMShsm creates a minimal discrete profile only if neither the original profile nor a backup profile exists for the recovered data set. If the profile creation fails because a profile already exists for the recovered data set, DFSMShsm considers the profile recovery to be successful, and normal processing continues. When this occurs, RACF may issue message ICH408I at the security console to indicate that the resource is already defined.
Note: DFSMShsm recovers a discrete profile if one existed at the time of backup or recovery. If you change from RACF discrete profile protection to generic profile protection, DFSMShsm still recovers the discrete profiles when it recovers the backup versions of data sets that were once protected with discrete profiles. So, discrete profiles can reappear even if you now use generic profile protection.

Related reading

For more information about the installation of generic profile options, see z/OS DFSMShsm Implementation and Customization Guide.

Parent topic: Recovering or restoring RACF-indicated data sets