Change a user group

This article describes how to change a user group, explains why it is important, and provides step-by-step instructions.

You will need to handle different types of changes to the characteristics of a group in different ways. Following are some examples of changes and how to deal with them.

Changing the group’s authority

You may discover that the group needs authority to objects that you did not anticipate in your initial planning. Do the following:

Use the Edit Object Authority (EDTOBJAUT) command to give the group the correct access to the objects or to an appropriate authorization list. "Setting up specific authorities" shows an example of how to do this. Every member of the group gets authority to the object when you give the group authority.
If you give the group authority to a confidential resource, you may want to verify the current members of the group. Use the Display User Profile command (DSPUSRPRF group-profile-name *GRPMBR) to list the group members.

Changing the customizing for the group

You may need to change the user environment setup for members of a group. For example, if a department gets its own printer, you want the new printer to be the default for the members of that department’s user group. Or, when your system gets a new application installed, members of a user group may want a different initial menu when they sign on.

The group profile provides a pattern that you can copy to create individual profiles for group members. The customizing values in the group profile do not affect the individual user profiles after you create them, however. For example, changing a field, such as Printer device in the group profile, has no affect on the group members. You need to change the Printer device field in each individual user profile.

You can use the Work with User Profile display to change a parameter for more than one user at a time. The example shows changing the output queue for all members of a group:

Type WRKUSRPRF *ALL and press the Enter key.

If you see the Work with User Enrollment display, use F21 (Select assistance level) to change to the Work with User Profile display.

              Work with User Profiles 

Type options, press Enter. 
  1=Create  2=Change  3=Copy  4=Delete  5=Display 
  12=Work with objects by owner 

     User 
Opt  Profile   Text 
     HARRISOK  Harrison, Keith 
2    HOGANR    Hogan, Richard 
     JONESS    Jones, Sharon 
2    WILLISR   Willis, Rose 
.
.
                                            More... 
Parameters for options 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 or command 
===> PRTDEV(PRT02) 
F3=Exit  F5=Refresh  F12=Cancel  F16=Repeat position to  F17=Position to 
F21=Select assistance level  F24=More keys

Type a 2 (Change) next to each profile that you want to change.
On the parameter line at the bottom of the display, type the parameter name and the new value. If you do not know the parameter name, press F4 (Prompt).
Press the Enter key. You receive a confirmation message for each profile that changed. Although changing a customizing field in the group profile has no affect on the group members, it may help you in the future. The group profile provides a pattern when you want to add members to the group later. It is also a record of the standard field values for the group.

Giving the group access to a new application

When a user group needs access to a new application, you need to analyze information about the group and about the application. Following is a suggested method:

Look at the Application Description worksheet for the new application and your diagram of applications, libraries, and user groups to see which libraries the application uses. Add those libraries to the User Group Description worksheet.
Update your diagram of applications, libraries, and user groups to show the new relationship between the user group and application.
If the group’s initial library list should include the libraries, change the group’s job description by using the Change Job Description (CHGJOBD) command. See "Creating a job description" if you need help for working with job descriptions.
Note: When you add libraries to the initial library list in a job description, you do not need to change the user profiles that use the job description. When the user signs on next, their initial library list automatically adds those libraries.
Evaluate whether you need to change either the initial program or the initial menu for the group to provide access to the new application. You need to make an individual change to the initial menu or program of each user profile by using the CHGUSRPRF command.
Review the Library Description forms for all the libraries that are used by the application. Determine whether the public access that is available for the libraries is sufficient for the group’s needs. If it is not, you may need to give the group authority to the library, to specific objects, or to authorization lists. Use the Edit Object Authority (EDTOBJAUT) and the Edit Authorization List (EDTAUTL) commands to do this.