HP OpenVMS Systems

Determining cause of login authentication failur

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The Question is:

 
First let me say our situation involves a Vax 4000/100 and VMS ver 6.2  I've
looked through the Wizard FAQ and don't find a solution.  I received this
message from on of my cohorts in trying to solve a problem with users
accessing our Vax.
 
I've seen this scneario often enough that I'm convinced that there's a
problem on the vax:
        1. A user changes his/her vax password - gets in OK
        2. The next time (hour or day later), for whatever reason, the
system will not let him/her in
 
              a No way to know if there was a typo or not
        3. Any other user attempting to log in at that machine also can not
log in
 
              a Subsequent successful login gives *NO* failed attempts
 
        4. I change the password in UAF and he/she finally gets in
        5. This happens on various machines; Win3.1 with PCTCP and NT using
ONNET32 or SmarTerm
 
To me #5 and #3a are real tip-offs that the problem is on the VAX by its not
showing failed attempts.
This was very frustrating to Tool Room staff who are having a learning curve
with new logins on NT machines, then trying to find and run Mail and Champs.
 
*** Any clues as to what kind of strange thing could be going on here?
 

The Answer is :

 
  To preserve system security, the exact reason for the authentication
  failure is not displayed to the user attempting the authentication.
 
  The reason for the authentication failure, as well as associated
  information, is available to the system manager or security officer
  through the ANALYZE/AUDIT command -- in concert with making an earlier
  decision regarding how much to audit -- and can be easily retrieved and
  displayed as necessary.  (See the SHOW AUDIT and SET AUDIT commands to
  determine how much is currently audited, and to change the settings.)
  Also available is the intrusion database, which can be used to locate
  the information and status of any attempted system intrusions.  (See
  the SHOW INTRUSION command.)
 
  The _OpenVMS Guide to System Security_ should provide you with more than
  you ever wanted to know about analyzing these login failures.
 

  

     

     
answer written or last revised on ( 10-DEC-1998 )
     
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