Firecall ID
A powerful user ID kept locked away for emergencies, used only with approval and with everything done under it reviewed afterwards.
Also written emergency ID, break-glass ID, firefighter ID, emergency access ID
A firecall ID is an emergency user ID. It has the access needed to fix serious problems in production, such as updating production libraries or using powerful RACF attributes. In normal times, nobody uses it.
The idea is to separate everyday access from emergency access. Staff work with their own IDs, which can only do what their job needs. When something breaks at three in the morning and the fix needs more access, the on-call person requests the firecall ID, usually with a manager's approval. They are given its password, often from a secure store, or the ID is resumed for a short time.
Everything done with the ID is logged. Afterwards, the actions are reviewed, the password is changed or the ID is revoked again, and the reason for its use is recorded.
This protects both the organisation and the staff: powerful access exists when it is truly needed, but it is not part of anyone's daily work. Auditors check how often firecall IDs are used and whether every use was reviewed.
Where can I learn this hands-on?
Right here, at ZedBank. You take a junior job at a simulated bank and learn each part of the work by doing it, with Zed beside you. There's nothing to install.
Start at ZedBankRelated
- RACF user attributesSettings on a RACF user ID that give it special powers, such as managing security or auditing, or limit it, such as being revoked.
- RACFThe security manager for z/OS, which decides who may sign on, read a dataset, or run a transaction.
- Production supportKeeping live systems running: diagnosing failures, fixing what broke, and getting the service back.
- Change controlThe process every change goes through before reaching production: reviewed, approved, scheduled and reversible.
- SMFSystem Management Facilities: the z/OS feature that writes a detailed record of what happened on the system, used for billing, performance and security.