This article provides answers to a set of frequently asked questions regarding mainframe passwords.

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How long can my password be?

Passwords must be at least six characters long but cannot exceed eight characters.

What are the character requirements for passwords?

Passwords may be any mix of alphabetic, numeric, and national characters. The national characters are “@”, “#” and “$”.

I am enrolled in many different projects. Do I need a separate password for each one?

Your Mainframe password is associated with your four-character PersonID (the last four characters of your seven-character LogonID). You use the same password to log on to any Project in which that PersonID is enrolled. Changing your Mainframe password using one of your several enrollments will immediately change your password for the rest.

How do I change my mainframe password?

Use the New Password field on the Logon Screen. If this doesn't work, please send email to prodshop@uchicago.edu.

Note: You must use a valid password for your LogonID in the Password field for this to work. The system will prompt you to re-enter your new password for verification. Please note that changing your password in the UCHIMVS1 (Production) LPAR will not change your password in the UCHIBETA (Test) LPAR until the following day; changing your password in the UCHIBETA LPAR alone will have no effect in the UCHIMVS1 LPAR and your change will not be saved in UCHIBETA beyond the current day.

Will the procedure for changing my password described above work if my password has expired?

Yes, as long as you've remembered your expired password correctly. You will need to enter a new password in the New Password field on the Logon Screen to successfully log on. If you have problems changing your password, please send an email to prodshop@uchicago.edu.

If I've completely forgotten my Password, how can I get a new one?

Your project administrator has procedures in place to deal with this problem. They will contact the appropriate IT Services personnel who will assign you a temporary password, one which must be changed the first time it is used. The system will not allow you access unless you change the temporary password during your first log-on.

What is the forced change interval for passwords? (How many days can I keep my password before the system forces me to change it?)

Passwords may be kept for 180 days. The system will issue warnings starting 31 days before your password expires.

Is there a waiting period before a newly instituted password can be changed? Must I wait a number of hours or days before changing my new password?

There is no minimum change interval. You may change your password anytime.

What is there to prevent my changing my password back to what it had just been?

The system keeps track of your current and previous four passwords and will not allow them to be reused.

Are there penalties imposed by the system for trying to use the wrong password?

Your LogonID will be locked out of the system after 15 password violations in a single day. The ACF2 User Violations Counter is reset daily to zero after midnight. If you use an incorrect password three times while changing your LogonID during a TSO session, your session will be canceled and you will be returned to the TPX Screen to log in again.