Auditing and monitoring are critical components of maintaining a secure and efficient OpenVMS environment. This section will cover the fundamental concepts, tools, and techniques used to audit and monitor OpenVMS systems.

1. Auditing: The process of recording and reviewing activities on the system to ensure compliance with security policies and to detect any unauthorized actions.
2. Monitoring: The continuous observation of system performance and activities to ensure the system is running optimally and to detect any anomalies or issues.

• Security: Helps in detecting unauthorized access and potential security breaches.
• Compliance: Ensures adherence to organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Performance: Identifies performance bottlenecks and helps in optimizing system resources.
• Troubleshooting: Aids in diagnosing and resolving system issues.

To enable auditing on an OpenVMS system, you need to configure the Security Audit Server. This involves setting up audit logs and defining what events to audit.

1. Edit the Audit Server Configuration File:

   • The configuration file is typically located at SYS$MANAGER:SECURITY_POLICY.DAT.
   • Use a text editor to modify this file and specify the events to be audited.

2. Define Audit Events:

   • Common events to audit include login attempts, file access, and system changes.
   • Example configuration:

     AUDIT/ENABLE=LOGIN
     AUDIT/ENABLE=FILE_ACCESS
     AUDIT/ENABLE=SYSTEM_CHANGE
     

3. Start the Audit Server:

   • Use the following command to start the audit server:

     $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SECURITY_SERVER
     

Audit logs are stored in the SYS$MANAGER directory. You can use the ANALYZE/AUDIT command to view and analyze these logs.

Example:

1. MONITOR Utility:

   • The MONITOR utility provides real-time performance monitoring.
   • Example usage:

     $ MONITOR SYSTEM
     

2. SHOW Commands:

   • Various SHOW commands can be used to monitor system status.
   • Examples:

     $ SHOW SYSTEM
     $ SHOW PROCESS/ALL
     $ SHOW MEMORY
     

You can set up alerts to notify administrators of specific events or thresholds. This can be done using the SYSMAN utility.

Example:

1. Enable auditing for login attempts and file access.
2. Start the audit server.
3. Perform a login and access a file.
4. View the audit logs to verify the events were recorded.

Solution:

1. Use the MONITOR utility to observe system performance.
2. Use SHOW commands to check the status of processes and memory.

Solution:

• Not Regularly Reviewing Logs: Ensure audit logs are reviewed regularly to detect any anomalies.
• Overlooking Performance Metrics: Regularly monitor system performance to preemptively address potential issues.
• Improper Configuration: Double-check audit and monitoring configurations to ensure they are set up correctly.

Auditing and monitoring are essential practices for maintaining the security and performance of an OpenVMS system. By enabling auditing, configuring the audit server, and using monitoring tools, administrators can ensure their systems are secure, compliant, and running optimally. Regularly reviewing logs and performance metrics will help in early detection of issues and maintaining system health.