3270 Users Fail to Get Sessions to SNA 3.0 After 2.11 Upgrade

• Microsoft SNA Server for Windows NT, versions 3.0, 3.0 SP1, 3.0 SP2

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade from SNA Server version 2.11 to SNA Server 3.0 or later, users may be denied access to 3270 LU based resources that they previously had access to. This problem manifests itself through certain third-party 3270 emulation packages by presenting a security message, indicating that SNA Server is denying access to the resource being requested.

The actual errors displayed by the emulator may vary. When this problem occurs, the SNA Server client reports the following error message to the emulator:

   LU not verified (Error 0x53, or decimal 83)

CAUSE

When a client 3270 emulator initializes, it can retrieve the 3270 LUs assigned to the user/group or workstation as defined on the SNA Server, referred to as the 3270 user record. The record passed from the server to the emulator contains information about which LUs and pools are available for the user as well as the number of sessions associated with each. Typically the LUs and pools obtained from the server are presented to the user in a protected or trusted drop-down list box within the emulation package. Certain 3270 emulation packages, however, allow users to manually specify an LU or a pool name through an optional dialog box. Unlike SNA Server 2.11, SNA Server 3.0 denies access to all resources that are not specified in the trusted list box.

See the following Knowledge Base article, which discusses the 3270 user record retrieval process:

  ARTICLE ID: Q158775
  TITLE     : 3270 Emulator Fails To Enforce SNA User/Group Assignments

RESOLUTION

SNA Server 3.0 has been updated to exhibit the same security behavior found in version 2.11. When a user opens a 3270 session, the SNA Server computer checks the LU list assigned to the user's specific user record as well as any groups that the user is a member of.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in SNA Server versions 3.0, 3.0 Service Pack 1, and 3.0 Service Pack 2. A supported fix is now available, but has not been fully regression tested and should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Unless you are severely impacted by this specific problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Service Pack that contains this fix. Contact Microsoft Technical Support for more information.

MORE INFORMATION

If a user is assigned 3270 LUs through one or more accounts, such as group and individual accounts, the LUs do not accumulate. Instead, one account determines access for that user. Determination of access is the account found first in the following search order:

1. User accounts (highest priority)

For example, if a 3270 LU called LU1 is assigned to a user account (a high- priority account) called GREGORYS, and at the same time an LU named LU2 is assigned to a local group (a low-priority account) of which GREGORYS is a member, GREGORYS will be given access to LU1, not LU2. This example is true for all versions of SNA Server. However, in version 2.11, if the emulator allows the user to specify LU2, then SNA Server grants access to this even though this is not specified in the emulator drop-down list. Specifying LU2

using SNA Server version 3.0 would result in an access denied message.

Keywords          : kbbug3.00 kbbug3.00.sp1 prodsna sna3270 snabaseservice kbbug3.00.sp2 kbnetwork
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.0SP1,3.0SP2
Platform          : winnt
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbfix kbpatch