ss Support Bulletin


Identification of BusinessLink/WEB User on the iSeries 400
Product: BusinessLink/WEB
Modified Date:

The user identification information can be passed to the iSeries 400 startup job whenever a user (Remote or Java) signs on to the iSeries 400. This is done using a specifically modified signon screen and several configuration entries in the ATFMCG Coprocessor configuration file. The process is as follows.

  • When the user type and number are present and configured correctly, the Coprocessor programs will place the user type and number in this field.
  • The iSeries 400 signon CL (set in the user profile) or job initiation program (set in the subsystem description) calls a BusinessLink command to retrieve the user information.
  • The RTVUSRABL command creates a data area in QTEMP containing the information, which is then available for the rest of the job.

    Step 1 - Setup Details
  • Modify the signon screen to add the information field. The information field may be placed anywhere on the screen, and must be 28 bytes long, hidden, protected and flagged as MDT-set. This field must be hidden, so the users never see it. The field must be flagged with a MDT (modified data tag), so the field is treated as "changed", and the data found therein always returned to the iSeries 400. Refer to ATFM19G/QSRCSAMPLE/QDSIGNON or ABL/QSRCSAMPLE/QDSIGNON for an example signon screen.
  • Assign the modified signon screen to the BusinessLink subsystem, which supplies the BusinessLink devices, using the command "CHGSBSD", keyword "SGNDSPF". The BusinessLink subsystem will need to be restarted to make the new signon screen active. Note: If you use this opportunity to redesign the signon screen, the new signon screen will be unrecognizable to the Coprocessor until the configuration is updated with the assistance of BusinessLink Technical Support.
  • Configure the field location in the Coprocessor configuration, download the configuration to the Coprocessor, and then restart the Coprocessor. The field location is defined with Line/Column coordinates in the configuration for the Coprocessor using [UserInformation]-Column and [UserInformation]-Line entries. Reconnect with BusinessLink/REMOTE after restarting, ensuring the signon screen definition is functioning correctly. If adjustments are needed, modification can be done in the Coprocessor configuration (from the ABLADM menu).

    Procedure for Making Configuration Changes
  • Select '30 - Administration' from the ABL main menu.
  • Select '7 - Coprocessor Configuration'.
  • Select '1 - Select the Coprocessor'.
  • Page down to 'UserInformation, Column'.
  • Select "2 - Edit".
  • Enter the starting column number for the modified field. Press Enter.
  • Page down to "UserInformation, Row".
  • Select "2 - Edit".
  • Enter the starting row number for the modified field. Press Enter.
    Note: The coprocessor will require a restart when the configuration change is made. Contact BusinessLink Technical Support to cycle the coprocessor.

    Step 2 - Setup Optional User Profile
    You may create a new user profile, ABLDFTOWN, with password *NONE and status *DISABLED. This user profile's sole purpose is to protect the data area created in QTEMP in step # 5 below, so later programs or users cannot modify it, thus impersonating another registered user. It is not used for any jobs, interactive or batch. This protection is achieved by changing the owner of the *DTAARA to ABLDFTOWN, and revoking the user's authority to the object to prevent the contents of the DTAARA being modified or the DTAARA being removed after the user has signed on. This means, then, that the DTAARA area can be continually accessed to identify the user by applications throughout the job and the information it contains trusted, from a security point of view. If used in the signon program, this command may fail if certain messages, such as "User *OUTQ is invalid," are sent by the system.

    Step 3 - Modify User Profile Initial Program
    Modify either the user(s) signon program or the subsystem job initiation program to call RTVUSRABL. If security is required, the signon job must be placed at the top of the library list, and the RTVUSRABL command called specifically from BusinessLink and not from the library list. Refer to ATFM19G/QSRCSAMPLE(SYSSGNON) and (SYSSGNON2) for a working example of this, using the user's signon program. If a signon program is used, it is preferable to assign all users the same signon program, and have this branch to a separate user specific job, if such a job has been set up. Please note that the user types can be either REMOTE or JAVA. The user number is 10 digits in length, though only the last 5 are relevant for commands like ABLAPI.

    ** End of Technical Support Bulletin **