Dell PowerConnect 8100 User's Configuration Guide - Page 180

Each service is configured using method lists. The method lists define how each service is to be performed by specifying the methods available to perform a service. The first method in a list is tried first. If the first method returns an error, the next method in the list is tried. This continues until all methods in the list have been attempted. If no method can perform the service, then the service fails. A method may return an error due to lack of network access, misconfiguration of a server, and other reasons. If there is no error, the method returns success if the user is allowed access to the service and failure if the user is not. AAA gives the user flexibility in configuration by allowing different method lists to be assigned to different access lines. In this way, it is possible to configure different security requirements for the serial console than for telnet, for example. Methods A method performs the configured service. Not every method is available for every service. Some methods require a username and password and other methods only require a password. Table 10-1 summarizes the various methods: Table 10-1. AAA Methods Method enable ias line local none radius tacacs Username? no yes no yes no yes yes Password? yes yes yes yes no yes yes Can Return an Error? yes no yes yes no yes yes Methods that never return an error cannot be followed by any other methods in a method list. • The enable method uses the enable password. If there is no enable password defined, then the enable method will return an error. 180 Configuring Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting