Configuring A Kerberos Authentication Server - Avocent MERGEPOINT SP MANAGER Installer/User Manual

MergePoint® SP Manager Installer/User Guide
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Method
AuthType
AuthType Down/Local Use local authentication if the AuthType server is down.
AuthType/Local
Local/AuthType
NOTE: The AuthType is Kerberos, LDAP, NIS, RADIUS, SMB, TACACS+ or DSView 3. For the DSView 3
authentication method, the MergePoint SP manager must be managed by the DSView 3 management software;
otherwise, the DSView 3 authentication will fail.
The default authentication service type is Kerberos. If any other authentication method is
selected, additional fields appear on the screen for specifying the information for an
authentication service of the selected method.
When the administrative user configures an authentication server on this page, the server is
available to perform authentication checking for logins to the MergePoint SP manager, if the
MergePoint SP manager is subsequently configured to use that authentication method. See
Configuring an Authentication Method for the MergePoint SP Manager on page 100 for how
the MergePoint SP manager is assigned an authentication method.

Configuring a Kerberos Authentication Server

You need to configure a Kerberos authentication server when the MergePoint SP manager is
configured to use the Kerberos authentication method or any of its variations (Kerberos, Local/
Kerberos, Kerberos/Local or Kerberos Down/Local).
If the Kerberos authentication server (which is also referred to as a Key Distribution Center, or
KDC) has previously been configured in either of the authentication configuration screens, the
fields are filled in with the previously configured values.
NOTE: The Kerberos KDC rejects tickets when the timestamp on an authentication request from a host is not within
the maximum clock skew time specified in the KDC's hdc.conf file. Therefore, it is essential for the time on the
MergePoint SP manager to be synchronized with the time on the KDC.
To configure a Kerberos authentication server:
1. Make sure entries for the appliance and the Kerberos server exist in the MergePoint SP
manager's /etc/hosts file.
a. Select the Network - Host Table menu option. The Host Table form appears.
Definition
Use user/password configured on the AuthType authentication server. No logins
allowed if the AuthType server is down or the AuthType authentication fails.
Use local authentication if the AuthType authentication fails.
Use the AuthType authentication if local authentication fails.