Lesson 1 The MPE/iX Account Structure

In order for the HP 3000 system to process all of the information from its user base, some structure is necessary to organize the information. This keeps your files from being mixed together with those of other users, for instance.

The account structure can protect each user's files from unwarranted use by unqualified or unauthorized users. The system challenges the person logging on to enter one or more passwords, to be sure that the person really has authority to work on the system.

Your organization probably checks every so often to see how much time people have spent using the computer. Very likely the time used is the basis for determining who needs more computing facility, who needs less, and how to bill each department or unit for the internal cost of owning and running the computer. This billing process begins with your logon.

The basic unit in the MPE/iX account structure is the account. There are usually many accounts on the MPE/iX. As a user, you are assigned to a specific account. When you log on, you enter HELLO and your user name and the name of the account to which your user is assigned.

An account may have more than one user assigned to it.

If you think of the computer as a filing room, then each separate cabinet in the filing room is comparable to a separate account within the computer system.

Users are people like yourself who use the computer.

In a sense, users do not have a place in the account structure (cabinet). Instead, they are the people (more accurately, the user names) who have the key to an account (cabinet). A user name is the key to a particular account (cabinet).

Accounts are divided into smaller units called groups. Groups are comparable to the drawers in each filing cabinet. Groups are separated from each other, just the way accounts are separated.

Groups contain files.

Files — all sorts of files — are the materials that users work with. They are kept in the groups. You have created, saved, and edited files, so you should feel somewhat familiar with them.

The following figure represents one way of looking at accounts, files, and groups.

Figure 5-1 Elements of Account Structure

The following figure represents another way of looking at accounts, files, and groups.

Figure 5-2 Files in Groups in an Account

• user name (required at logon)

• account name (required at logon).

• group name (optional)

• session name (optional)

The simplest logon identity consists of a user name and an account name. You must specify at least a user name and an account name to log on.

   HELLO username.acctname



   HELLO JOHN.SMITHERS 

If there are user and/or account passwords, you are prompted for them by the system security.

Look at your logon identifier. Which is the account name? Which is the user name?

Before you can work on a file, you must log on to the account and group in which the file is found.

To log on to a particular group, add a comma and the group name at the end of your logon identifier:

   HELLO username.acctname,group

Log on to MYGROUP, using your user and account name.

Example:

   HELLO username.acctname,MYGROUPReturn 

	NOTE: If there is a group password assigned, you are prompted for it.

Execute SHOWME to check your user identity:

   SHOWMEReturn

Now, log on to the OTHERGRP group. Remember that you do not have to log off in order to start a new session. Use the HELLO command with your appropriate logon identity.

Example:

   HELLO username.acctname,OTHERGRPReturn

Check your user identity again with the SHOWME command.

Session names are used as an additional identifier, not for the computer, but for the benefit of those who are working with the computer. Session names can represent anything that helps identify your logon session, (persons, places, or things). To add a session name to the logon, put the session name and a comma ahead of everything else in the logon identity:

   HELLO session,username.acctname,group

For example, you might choose to log on using a location, such as a building number, as a session name and the group name MYGROUP. (Sessions are limited to eight letters.)

Example:

   HELLO BUILD20,JOHN.SMITHERS,MYGROUP

Execute a SHOWJOB at the prompt. In the above example, BUILD20 is the session identifier.

	NOTE: Actually, several people can log on simultaneously using the same user, account and group names. For example, several users working on a team project may share a logon identity. Session names can be used to identify specific users who may all be logged on at the same time.

These are the minimum requirements for logging on:

To discover your home group, log on using just your user name and account name. Then enter SHOWME to find out what group you are in.

Do that now, using your own user name and account name:

   HELLO username.accountnameReturn

You are now in your home group.

Now enter:

   SHOWMEReturn

Can you find the group name in the display?

Another way to discover your home group is to enter the command LISTUSER at the system prompt.

Try this:

   LISTUSERReturn

Do you see something like this on your screen?

   :LISTUSER ************************ USER: ETHEL.MERTZ



   HOME GROUP: MYGROUP PASSWORD: ** MAX PRI : 150 LOC ATTR:

   $00000000 LOGON CNT : 1 CAP: ND,SF,BA,IA 

The LISTUSER command provides you with some valuable information about you as a user of the MPE/iX system. But for now, just note what your home group is. Is it MYGROUP or something else?

It is tempting to have PUB designated as your home group. A lot of users could share PUB as the home group in an account. After all, every file in PUB is accessible to everyone unless the file is locked; however, using PUB as your home group is not a good idea. Why not?

Suppose that you worked in personnel. Would you want to keep confidential files about persons in your firm in the PUB group, where other users might be able to read them? Most likely not.

Keep this in mind when using the PUB group. If you have access to a group other than PUB (your account manager has the ability to create one for you), make a practice of keeping your confidential files in the other group.

	NOTE: The simplest logon, HELLO username.acctnameReturn, works only if the user has a designated home group.

1. Give three reasons why there is an account structure on the MPE/iX system.

2. What four elements make up the MPE/iX account structure?

3. Given the following logon identities, correctly identify each session name, user name, group name, and account name.

   1. HELLO norma.desmond,sunset

   2. hello bob,carol.ted,alice

   3. HELLO MGR.MKTG

   4. hello emily.kado,pres

   5. HELLO BLDG214,john.doe,audit

4. Unless you specify another group upon logon, you are automatically logged on to which group?

5. Pretend that you are JAN, assigned to the SALES account. Your home group is SUPPORT. What must you enter when you log on?

6. Pretend that you are CLERK, assigned to the DESK account and that you want to identify your session as FOLDER. What must you enter when you log on to your home group?

7. Pretend that you are USER1, assigned to the PROG account. You want to look at a file in the TEST group, which is not your home group. What must you enter when you log on?

8. Pretend that you are BILL, assigned to the PAYROLL account and the EXEMPT group, which is not your home group. What must you enter when you log on?

9. Explain why it is not a good idea to keep your files, especially sensitive ones, in the PUB group.