Introduction to Accounts, Groups, and Users




	NOTE: The MPE/iX operating system has been enhanced as of Release 4.5 and 5.0 to include additional features. For more information on these features, refer to the book, `New Features of MPE/iX: Using the Hierarchical File System` (32650-90351), included in this documentation set.

If you installed the software for your organization, you have already seen the terms accounts, groups, and users. If someone else showed you how to log on, you have used an account, group, and users perhaps without even knowing it.

The account structure consists of four elements:

accounts
groups (who belong to accounts)
users (who belong to accounts)
files (who belong to groups)

As a user, you are assigned to a specific account. When you log on, you enter HELLO, your user name, and the name of the account to which your user name is assigned. An account may have more than one user assigned to it.

To understand the account structure, think of your computer system as a filing room in which there are many filing cabinets.

Each separate cabinet in the room is comparable to a separate account on the computer system.

Try the following exercises to help familiarize yourself with commands that give you information about your accounts, groups, and users.

To list account information

The LISTACCT command provides information about assigned capabilities, disk space limits, and user access. To display this information, enter:

   :LISTACCT Return

A description of the account that you are logged on to appears:

   ********************

   ACCOUNT: PRACTICE         



   DISC SPACE: 16(SECTORS)         PASSWORD: **

   CPU TIME  : 18(SECONDS)         LOC ATTR: $00000000

   CONNECT TIME: 333(MINUTES)      SECURITY--READ    : AC

   DISC LIMIT: UNLIMITED                     WRITE   : AC

   CPU LIMIT : UNLIMITED                     APPEND  : AC

   CONNECT LIMIT: UNLIMITED                  LOCK    : AC

   MAX PRI  : 150                            EXECUTE : AC

   GRP UFID : $055A0002 $0D079125 $0024FFB6 $1E033861 $2C3362E2   

   USER UFID: $055A0001 $0D079125 $0025D4B6 $1E033861 $2C3362E9   

   CAP: AM,AL,GL,ND,SF,BA,IA

The CAP information listed at the lower left and the SECURITY information listed in the right column give you the following information about this account.

CAP stands for capability. The abbreviations that follow indicate the capabilities assigned to your account. You can find explanations for these abbreviations and those in the SECURITY column in Volume III of this guide.

To list account passwords

If you forget your account password while you are logged on to your account, you can list your password by using the LISTACCT command followed by the PASSWORD parameter. You must have account manager (AM) capability to list your account password with the LISTACCT command.

Try this now:

   :LISTACCT;PASS Return

To list group information

Accounts can be divided into smaller units called groups. Groups are comparable to the drawers in each filing cabinet. Files reside in groups.

A quick way to list the groups within an account is to use the REPORT command. Enter that command now to see which groups are currently in your account:

   :REPORT Return

Here's a sample of what you might see on your screen:

   ACCOUNT   FILESPACE-SECTORS     CPU-SECONDS       CONNECT-MINUTES

   /GROUP    COUNT    LIMIT        COUNT    LIMIT    COUNT    LIMIT

   PRACTICE    16       **         18       **      333       **

   /PUB        16       **          7       **      252       **

   /QTR1        0       **         11       **       81       **

The names of the account PRACTICE and its groups PUB and OTR1 are listed in the far left column. Additional columns of information state the amount of file space occupied by the account and its group, the cumulative total CPU time used by persons using that account and group, as well as their cumulative connect time to the system.

To see detailed information about groups

To get more detailed information about the groups in your account, use the LISTGROUP command. Enter:

  :LISTGROUP Return

You should see a display similar to the following on your screen:

   GROUP: PUB.PRACTICE



   DISC SPACE: 44384(SECTORS)      PASSWORD: **

   CPU TIME  : 17871(SECONDS)      SECURITY--READ  : ANY

   CONNECT TIME: 8373(MINUTES)               WRITE : AL, GU

   DISC LIMIT: UNLIMITED                     APPEND: AL, GU

   CPU LIMIT : UNLIMITED                     LOCK  : AL, GU

   CONNECT LIMIT: UNLIMITED                  EXECUTE : ANY

   PRIV VOL : NO                             SAVE  : AL, GU

   FILE UFID: $055A0003 $0D079125 $000A77B4 $1A0300D6

   MOUNT REF CNT: n/a

   HOME VOL SET : MPEXL_SYSTEM_VOLUME_SET

   CAP: BA,IA

   :

The LISTGROUP display has similar information to the LISTACCT command display. This listing shows your logon group's capabilities and security information.

If you have account manager (AM) capability, all of the groups in your account are displayed.

To add a new group

A user with account manager (AM) capability may create account groups with default attributes as well as those with attributes that you specify. If you have account manager (AM) capability, you may add a new group to your account.

Users

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 who have the key to an account. A user name is the key to a particular account.

To list the users in your account

You can use the LISTUSER command to display information about users in your account or other users on the system. The SHOWME command also displays the account, group, and user information associated with your session. You must have account manager (AM) capability to execute the LISTUSER command.

To list the users in your account, enter:

   :LISTUSER Return

The screen displays the following information:

   USER: USER1.PRACTICE



   HOME GROUP: PUB                 PASSWORD: 

   MAX PRI   : 150                 LOC ATTR: $00000000

   LOGON CNT : 0       

   CAP: AM,AL,GL,ND,SF,BA,IA

   ********************

   USER: USER2.PRACTICE



   HOME GROUP: PUB                 PASSWORD: 

   MAX PRI   : 150                 LOC ATTR: $00000000

   LOGON CNT : 1         

   CAP:  ND,SF,BA IA

   :

Note that the password can be displayed in this example. The password is displayed if you include the ;PASS parameter.

Files

Files are materials that you create. They are kept in the groups. You can create, save, and edit files. You can also access other files located in another group or account.

To display file names

To display all file names in the PUB group, use the LISTFILE command. Enter:

   :LISTFILE Return

If no one has created any files for this account, you should now see

   NON-EXISTENT FILE @.PUB.PRACTICE. (CIWARN 920)

Otherwise, you would see

   FILENAME



   YOURFILE

Soon you will learn how to create a file.