!!! Overview 
[{$pagename}] ([RACF]) is a provides the tools to help the installation manage access to critical resources.

[{$pagename}] works with the [System Authorization Facility] that provides [Access Control] and [auditing] functionality for the [MVS] operating systems. [RACF] was introduced in [1976|Year 1976].[1] 

[{$pagename}] fulfills the main features[1]: 
* [Identification] and [verification] of a user via [UserId] and [password] check ([authentication]) 
* [Identification], classification and protection of system resources 
* Maintenance of access rights to [Protected Resources] ([authorization]) 
* Control the means of access to [Protected Resources] 
* Logging of accesses to a protected system and [Protected Resources] ([auditing]) 

[{$pagename}] establishes security policies rather than just permission records. It can set permissions for file patterns — that is, set the permissions even for files that do not yet exist. Those permissions are then used for the file (or other object) created at a later time.

[{$pagename}] has continuously evolved to support such modern security features as digital [certificates]/[Public Key Infrastructure] services, LDAP interfaces, and [case-sensitive] IDs/passwords. The latter is a reluctant concession to promote interoperability with other systems, such as Unix and Linux. The underlying zSeries hardware works closely with [RACF]. For example, digital certificates are protected within tamper-proof cryptographic processors. Major mainframe subsystems, especially DB2 Version 8, use RACF to provide multi-level security (MLS). !! [Password Phrases]
[{$pagename}] [RACF] any password with 8 characters or less sets the [RACF] [password] for that user. Otherwise, it sets the [Password Phrase] for that user.!! [Ran Across Today] (2018-09-05)
[{$applicationname}] heard that on [RACF] [Password Policy], based on the underlying [System Authorization Facility] ([SAF]) that the [password] change interval was an 8 bit filed and therefore can only be 0-254 days. 

!! More Information 
There might be more information for this subject on one of the following: 
[{ReferringPagesPlugin before='*' after='\n' }] 

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* [#1] - [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_Access_Control_Facility|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource_Access_Control_Facility|target='_blank'] - based on 2013-04-10