A Node Access Point (or NAP) creates a reference point to a node that may be used in place of referring to a node directly in most places where a node name is required. This serves several purposes:
1. Creates node visibility outside of its usergroup. By creating a NAP in one usergroup that references a node in another, users may now be given access to a node without having to add that node’s usergroup to the user’s access list.
2. Restrict access on a node to a particular directory tree (or set of qualifiers for OS/390).
3. Provide different levels of access to the same node by different users or user groups. This is possible because any number of NAPs may point to the same node. Additionally, a NAP may be defined for common access among members of a usergroup, or a NAP may be created that individually sets the access for a particular user.
4. Allow for an account user name and password to be configured. This will override the user name and password supplied for an FTP type node, allowing for multiple accounts to be accessed without having to create a different node for each one. This account name and password may also be used for user exit authentication purposes.
NFM GUI INTERFACE: NODE ACCESS POINTS
Field Name Field Description
Node Access Point Name User-selected name for the given NAP record. Type in a new entry, or select an existing entry (along with user name if desired). This name combines with the next field User Name (which may be blank) to create a unique entry. The name chosen may be the same as the node name to which this NAP refers. Although doing this might seem confusing, it allows a NAP to be transparently introduced to an existing NFM configuration without having to change all of the plans that reference this node to use the NAP instead. This is described in more detail below.
NFM GUI INTERFACE: NODE ACCESS POINTS
Field Name Field Description
User Name If this field is set to an existing user name, then this NAP will only be used when the NAP name (above) is chosen or referenced by this particular user. (For a node reference within a plan, this would be the user who submitted the plan). If this field is left blank, then the NAP is considered generic and will be used by default if a user specific NAP by the same name is not found (described in more detail below).
Account User Name Account Password
The account user name and password fields are optional and provide one of two things:
1. The name and password fields may be used to satisfy a login request for an FTP type node. If they are specified here, they override any account name and password fields that may otherwise be specified in the node or model record. This allows for different accounts at the same site to be used with a single node record.
2. The name and password fields may be supplied to a user exit routine (if one exist) for the NFM client type node being accessed.
Home Directory A home directory may be specified here. A home directory provides either an enforced starting directory for access or a default location, depending upon the setting of the next field (Allow access outside of Home Directory) described below. Note, the use of a home directory here does not circumvent the restrictions of the Paths folder settings in the corresponding node or model.
Allow access outside Home Directory
If a home directory is specified, this check box indicates whether or not access is allowed outside of it.
If this box is unchecked, any reference to a file name on this node is automatically appended to the home directory. The only exception to this, a file name that exactly matches the prefix (up to the length of the prefix) is not appended, but referred to directly.
If this box is checked, a file name that is not fully qualified (does not start with forward slash or drive letter) is automatically appended to the home directory. A fully qualified name is referred to directly (home directory is ignored). This only applies to non OS/390 nodes (an OS/390
NFM GUI INTERFACE: NODE ACCESS POINTS
Field Name Field Description
data set name is always appended to the home directory).
Notes Tab
NFM GUI INTERFACE: NODE ACCESS POINTS
Environment Tab
The Environment tab allows users to create custom environment.
A NAP name is generally interchangeable with a node name. It may, for example, be the target of a plan transfer function, or a member of a node group, etc. Besides making it easier to introduce its usage into an existing environment, this allows for a simple customization of access based on the user or user groups involved.
When a node name is referenced, say during a transfer, the following lookup is actually done until a match is found:
• The system searches for a NAP record whose name matches the node name requested and whose user name matches the user performing the operation.
• If not found, the system searches for a NAP record whose name matches the node name requested and whose user name is blank.
• If neither of these are found, a simple search for an actual node record with a matching name is done.
NFM GUI INTERFACE: NODE ACCESS POINTS
This would allow an administrator for example, to restrict one user to accessing only a particular directory on a node by introducing a NAP record with the node and user’s name. This would have no affect on other users accessing the same node.
In a similar manner a NAP added to a particular usergroup that referenced a node in a different usergroup, would have no affect on any users outside the usergroup who were accessing the same node.
NFM GUI INTERFACE: MULTICAST PROFILES