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Catalyst 3550 Multilayer Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 6 Administering the Switch
Controlling Switch Access with
You need a system running the daemon software to use on your switch.
Operation
When a user attempts a simple ASCII login by authenticating to a switch using , this process
occurs:
1.
When the connection is established, the switch contacts the daemon to obtain a username
prompt, which is then displayed to the user. The user enters a username, and the switch then contacts
the daemon to obtain a password prompt. The switch displays the password prompt to
the user, the user enters a password, and the password is then sent to the daemon.
allows a conversation to be held between the daemon and the user until the daemon
receives enough information to authenticate the user. The daemon prompts for a username and
password combination, but can include other items, such as the user’s mother’s maiden name.
2.
The switch eventually receives one of these responses from the daemon:
–
ACCEPT—The user is authenticated and service can begin. If the switch is configured to
require authorization, authorization begins at this time.
–
REJECT—The user is not authenticated. The user can be denied access or is prompted to retry
the login sequence, depending on the daemon.
–
ERROR—An error occurred at some time during authentication with the daemon or in the
network connection between the daemon and the switch. If an ERROR response is received, the
switch typically tries to use an alternative method for authenticating the user.
–
CONTINUE—The user is prompted for additional authentication information.
After authentication, the user undergoes an additional authorization phase if authorization has been
enabled on the switch. Users must first successfully complete authentication before
proceeding to authorization.
3.
If authorization is required, the daemon is again contacted, and it returns an
ACCEPT or REJECT authorization response. If an ACCEPT response is returned, the response
contains data in the form of attributes that direct the EXEC or NETWORK session for that user,
determining the services that the user can access:
–
Telnet, rlogin, or privileged EXEC services
–
Connection parameters, including the host or client IP address, access list, and user timeouts