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Migrating from CA Top Secret  to RACF: A Comprehensive Guide

When it comes to securing mainframe environments, transitioning from one security management tool to another can be a complex and daunting task. Two of the most prominent tools in this space are CA Top Secret and IBM’s RACF (Resource Access Control Facility). Both have their own methodologies and structures for defining and enforcing security policies. This guide provides a detailed approach for migrating from CA Top Secret to RACF, ensuring a smooth transition with minimal disruptions.

Discovery Phase

The first step in the migration process is to thoroughly understand the current security landscape in your CA Top Secret environment.

• Existing System Study: Begin by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the existing system and security policies. Identify how resources are currently protected and accessed.
• Security Data Extraction: Utilize the TSSCFILE utility to dump the Top Secret Security Database. This provides insights into resource definitions, access control information, and user profiles.
• Understanding ACIDs: Analyze the Access Control IDs (ACIDs), including their profiles, STC records, and levels of access. This step helps in mapping the existing structure to RACF’s user groups and permissions.
• Global Options Review: Extract global options from the TSSPARMx module. Document these settings to ensure that equivalent configurations are established in RACF.

Extraction Phase

The extraction phase is about gathering all the necessary details and ensuring that they are accurately documented for use in the migration.

• Utility Data Extraction: Run relevant utilities to extract detailed information about the current security setup. This includes user profiles, resource definitions, and other relevant configurations.
• Setup Parameters: Identify and set up parameters that will guide the migration process.
• Document the Data: Ensure that all extracted data is thoroughly documented. This serves as a reference throughout the migration process.

Target System Preparation

Before loading the extracted data into RACF, the target system must be properly prepared.

• RACF Database Preparation: Set up and activate the RACF database, ensuring it’s ready to accept the migrated data.
• RACF Tables Creation: Create the necessary RACF tables, including Class Descriptor Tables (CDTs), Name Tables, and the Started Task Table.
• Parmlib Configuration: Include RACF’s parmlib (IRROPTxx) in SYS1.PROCLIB and ensure RACFPARM DD is included in the System Proc. This step configures RACF to function according to your organization’s requirements.

Transformation Phase

The transformation phase is where the actual mapping from CA Top Secret to RACF happens.

• ACID Equivalence: Define equivalence between CA Top Secret ACIDs and RACF structures. For example, map zones, divisions, and departments to RACF groups.
• User Transformation: Convert users and their access levels from CA Top Secret to RACF users and groups.
• Special Privileges: Handle Control IDs by mapping them to users with special privileges in RACF.
• Resource Mapping: Define and map resources from CA Top Secret to their equivalent RACF resource definitions.

Load Phase

Once the transformation is complete, the next step is to load the data into RACF.

• Conversion Program: Develop a conversion program tailored to the specific transformations required. This program will handle the data load into the RACF database, ensuring all security definitions are properly migrated.

Testing Phase

After loading the data into RACF, thorough testing is essential to ensure the migration was successful.

• RACF Audit Utilities: Run RACF’s audit utilities to test the transformed security definitions. Ensure that all permissions, access controls, and resources are functioning as expected.
• Security Report Comparison: Compare security reports before and after the migration. This comparison helps to identify any discrepancies and ensures that the migrated environment matches the original in terms of security posture.

Conclusion

Migrating from CA Top Secret RACF requires careful planning and execution. By following a structured approach—starting with discovery and extraction, through to transformation, loading, and testing—you can ensure a smooth transition. The key is to thoroughly understand both the source and target environments and to meticulously map security structures from one to the other. With this guide, you’re well-equipped to navigate the complexities of security management tool migration and ensure that your mainframe environment remains secure and compliant.

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