Define user and host groups

Rules apply to individual users, to individual host computers, and to groups of users or host computers. To apply rules to groups of users or computers, the administrator must define groups.

Case sensitivity in names

By default, the rules in the options file treats user names and host names with case-sensitivity. Before defining any user groups or host groups, the administrator may choose to make the user names and host names case-insensitive.

The GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE command must be the first command in the options file. The syntax of the command is:

GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE OFF|ON

Examples of the command are:

GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE OFF

The first example sets case-insensitivity off, meaning that the options file considers case when it applies rules to entities. To apply a rule to four users named Claire, claire, ClaIre and CLAIRE, the administrator must name each user explicitly.

GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE ON

The second example sets case-insensitivity on, meaning that the options file does not consider case when it applies rules to entities. If the administrator applies a rule to the user named Claire, the same rule applies to the users claire, ClaIre and CLAIRE.

Create and use groups

Users are identified by their user names, which are the names by which the network knows them. To set a rule for more than one user name, the administrator can create a GROUP, and then apply the rule to all users in the GROUP at once.

Hosts are identified by their computer names or IP addresses, which are the identifiers by which the network knows them. To set a rule for more than one host name, the administrator can create a HOST_GROUP, and then apply the rule to all hosts in the HOST_GROUP at once.

GROUP Command

The GROUP command creates a group of users. The syntax of the command is:

GROUP group_name user_list

The options file can contain more than one command for a single GROUP. The first command defines the group and adds users. Subsequent commands add more users to the group.

Examples of the command are:

GROUP Operators Hweilin mafalda

GROUP Operators Sacajawea

The first GROUP command defines the group Operators, and then adds the two users Hweilin and mafalda to the group. The second command adds the user Sacajawea to the group.

EXCLUDE 500 GROUP Operators

This EXCLUDE rule prohibits the users Hweilin, mafalda and Sacajawea from using the application with product code 500.

HOST_GROUP Command

The HOST_GROUP command creates groups of host computers. The syntax of the command is:

HOST_GROUP host_group_name host_list

The options file can contain more than one command for a single HOST_GROUP. The first command defines the group and adds hosts. Subsequent commands add more hosts to the host group.

Examples of the command are:

HOST_GROUP Pacific tokyo

HOST_GROUP Pacific seattle 242.07.611.23 Auckland

The first rule defines the host group Pacific, and then adds the host tokyo to the host group. The second command adds the hosts seattle, 242.07.611.23 and Auckland to the host group.

EXCLUDE 500 HOST_GROUP Pacific

This EXCLUDE rule prohibits all users, on all four hosts in the Pacific host group, from using the application with product code 200. The administrator does not have to apply this rule to individual users on those computers.