Chapter 4: User Accounts

Overview

Because OpenVMS is designed for many users, it must have some way of telling those users apart. For each authorized user, OpenVMS maintains a user account. Each account has a unique name, known as the username, and an associated password. ^[1]

When you log in to an OpenVMS system, you supply your username, identifying yourself to the system, and your password as proof of your identity. Your system manager will supply you with a username and an initial password. If you are installing OpenVMS on a new system, you will be asked to choose the initial passwords for several built-in accounts during installation.

The first time you use your account, you may be required to change your password. Afterward, you may be required to change your password at regular intervals as defined by your system manager. Your user account does far more than simply identify you to the system. It also specifies the location of your home directory; when and where you are allowed to log in; and the rights, resource quotas and limits, and privileges you are allowed on the system. Figure 4-1 contains a listing of a user account record.

 Username: MIKE                             Owner:  Mike Duffy Account:  SYSTEM                           UIC:    [1,100] ([MIKE]) CLI:      DCL                              Tables: DCLTABLES Default:  DKA100:[MIKE] LGICMD:   LOGIN Flags: Primary days:   Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Secondary days:                     Sat Sun No access restrictions Expiration:            (none)    Pwdminimum:  8   Login Fails:     0 Pwdlifetime:         30 00:00    Pwdchange:  12-OCT-2002 10:04 Last Login: 30-OCT-2002 16:41 (interactive), 30-OCT-2002 17:31 (non-interactive) Maxjobs:         0  Fillm:       300  Bytlm:        32768 Maxacctjobs:     0  Shrfillm:      0  Pbytlm:           0 Maxdetach:       0  BIOlm:       160  JTquota:       4096 Prclm:          10  DIOlm:       160  WSdef:          256 Prio:            4  ASTlm:       190  WSquo:          512 Queprio:         0  TQElm:        30  WSextent:      2048 CPU:        (none)  Enqlm:      4000  Pgflquo:      40960 Authorized Privileges:   ACNT      ALLSPOOL  ALTPRI    AUDIT     BUGCHK    BYPASS    CMEXEC    CMKRNL   IMPERSONATDIAGNOSE  DOWNGRADE EXQUOTA   GROUP     GRPNAM    GRPPRV    IMPORT   LOG_IO    MOUNT     NETMBX    OPER      PFNMAP    PHY_IO    PRMCEB    PRMGBL   PRMMBX    PSWAPM    READALL   SECURITY  SETPRV    SHARE     SHMEM     SYSGBL   SYSLCK    SYSNAM    SYSPRV    TMPMBX    UPGRADE   VOLPRO    WORLD Default Privileges:   ALTPRI    AUDIT     MOUNT     NETMBX    OPER      SECURITY  SETPRV    SYSNAM   TMPMBX 

Figure 4-1: A User Account Record

User account records are stored in the system User Authorization File and, so, are known as UAF records.

^[1]Your system manager may create user accounts that require zero, one, or two passwords, but accounts with one password are the norm.