Glossary

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# Glossary

Acronym | Term | Description
--- | --- | ---
AES | Advanced Encryption Standard | A specification for the encryption of electronic data established by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2001
| Basic format sequential dataset | A sequential dataset in the original physical format, which can occupy up to 65,535 tracks on each volume
CPACF | Central Processor Assist for Cryptographic Function | A set of cryptographic instructions available in hardware on every zSeries processor unit
| Clear key | An encryption key whose clear, unconcealed value exists in memory, outside protected hardware (for example, Crypto Express), while it is being used to encrypt or decrypt data
| Crypto Express | A family of hardware security modules from IBM for high-security processing and cryptographic operations
| Cryptography | The practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversaries
DASD | Direct-Access Storage Device | A device providing persistent storage in which each block (the smallest unit of an I/O operation) can be accessed directly and quickly by specifying its location on the device; colloquially also referred to as “disk”
DFSMS | Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem | A z/OS subsystem that automates and centralizes the management of persistent storage (disks and tapes)
| Encryption key | A parameter for an cryptographic algorithm. Must be kept secret in most applications (“secret key”), but some also work with “public keys”
EXCP | Execute Channel Program | A low-level I/O interface
| Extended format sequential dataset | A sequential dataset that can be striped, encrypted or compressed, or any combination thereof
ICSF | Integrated Cryptographic Service Facility | A z/OS subsystem that creates and manages cryptographic keys and performs crypto operations in software or hardware
JCL | Job Control Language | The language of job control statements used to specify jobs to the job entry subsystem (JES)
JES | Job Entry Subsystem | A subsystem used by z/OS to receive jobs into the operating system, schedule jobs for processing, and control job output processing
| Key | In the context of encryption, a shorthand for encryption key
| Key label | A parameter to identify an encryption key, used by ICSF as a handle to locate the encryption key and its associated parameters
| Large format sequential dataset | A sequential dataset in an advanced physical format, which can occupy up to 16,777,215 tracks on each volume
| Protected key | A variation of secure key for high-performance bulk encryption and decryption using the CPACF instructions
RACF | Resource Access Control Facility | A component of the Security Server for z/OS, used to identify and authenticate users, authorize users to access protected resources, and record and report access attempts
| Secure key | An encryption key that has been encrypted under another key and is used in a way that its clear value never leaves a hardware security module (for example, Crypto Express)
SMS | Storage Management Subsystem | A shorthand for DFSMS, Data Facility Storage Management Subsystem
XTS | XOR-Encrypt-XOR Tweakable Block Cipher with Ciphertext Stealing | A block cipher mode of operation used for encrypting data on storage devices