HP Cisco Nexus 5000 Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration - Page 288

RADIUS Operation, RADIUS Server Monitoring, and Point-to-Point Protocol PPP

Page 288 highlights

RADIUS Operation Configuring RADIUS • Networks that support authentication profiles. Using the RADIUS server in your network, you can configure AAA authentication and set up per-user profiles. Per-user profiles enable the Nexus 5000 Series switch to better manage ports using their existing RADIUS solutions and to efficiently manage shared resources to offer different service-level agreements. RADIUS Operation When a user attempts to log in and authenticate to a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch using RADIUS, the following process occurs: 1 The user is prompted for and enters a username and password. 2 The username and encrypted password are sent over the network to the RADIUS server. 3 The user receives one of the following responses from the RADIUS server: • ACCEPT-The user is authenticated. • REJECT-The user is not authenticated and is prompted to reenter the username and password, or access is denied. • CHALLENGE-A challenge is issued by the RADIUS server. The challenge collects additional data from the user. • CHANGE PASSWORD-A request is issued by the RADIUS server, asking the user to select a new password. The ACCEPT or REJECT response is bundled with additional data that is used for EXEC or network authorization. You must first complete RADIUS authentication before using RADIUS authorization. The additional data included with the ACCEPT or REJECT packets consists of the following: • Services that the user can access, including Telnet, rlogin, or local-area transport (LAT) connections, and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP), or EXEC services. • Connection parameters, including the host or client IPv4 or IPv6 address, access list, and user timeouts. RADIUS Server Monitoring An unresponsive RADIUS server can cause delay in processing of AAA requests. You can configure the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch to periodically monitor a RADIUS server to check whether it is responding (or alive) to save time in processing AAA requests. The Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch marks unresponsive RADIUS servers as dead and does not send AAA requests to any dead RADIUS servers. The switch periodically monitors the dead RADIUS servers and brings them to the alive state once they respond. This monitoring process verifies that a RADIUS server is in a working state before real AAA requests are sent its way. Whenever Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide 242 OL-16597-01

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• Networks that support authentication profiles.
Using the RADIUS server in your network, you can configure AAA authentication and set up per-user
profiles. Per-user profiles enable the Nexus 5000 Series switch to better manage ports using their existing
RADIUS solutions and to efficiently manage shared resources to offer different service-level agreements.
RADIUS Operation
When a user attempts to log in and authenticate to a Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch using RADIUS, the
following process occurs:
1
The user is prompted for and enters a username and password.
2
The username and encrypted password are sent over the network to the RADIUS server.
3
The user receives one of the following responses from the RADIUS server:
• ACCEPT—The user is authenticated.
• REJECT—The user is not authenticated and is prompted to reenter the username and password, or
access is denied.
• CHALLENGE—A challenge is issued by the RADIUS server. The challenge collects additional
data from the user.
• CHANGE PASSWORD—A request is issued by the RADIUS server, asking the user to select a
new password.
The ACCEPT or REJECT response is bundled with additional data that is used for EXEC or network
authorization. You must first complete RADIUS authentication before using RADIUS authorization. The
additional data included with the ACCEPT or REJECT packets consists of the following:
• Services that the user can access, including Telnet, rlogin, or local-area transport (LAT) connections,
and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP), or EXEC services.
• Connection parameters, including the host or client IPv4 or IPv6 address, access list, and user timeouts.
RADIUS Server Monitoring
An unresponsive RADIUS server can cause delay in processing of AAA requests. You can configure the
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch to periodically monitor a RADIUS server to check whether it is responding
(or alive) to save time in processing AAA requests. The Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch marks unresponsive
RADIUS servers as dead and does not send AAA requests to any dead RADIUS servers. The switch periodically
monitors the dead RADIUS servers and brings them to the alive state once they respond. This monitoring
process verifies that a RADIUS server is in a working state before real AAA requests are sent its way. Whenever
Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch CLI Software Configuration Guide
242
OL-16597-01
Configuring RADIUS
RADIUS Operation