Fallback Support; Configuring The Local Database - Cisco PIX 500 Series Configuration Manual

Chapter 13 Configuring AAA Servers and the Local Database

Fallback Support

The local database can act as a fallback method for several functions. This behavior is designed to help
you prevent accidental lockout from the security appliance.
For users who need fallback support, we recommend that their usernames and passwords in the local
database match their usernames and passwords in the AAA servers. This provides transparent fallback
support. Because the user cannot determine whether a AAA server or the local database is providing the
service, using usernames and passwords on AAA servers that are different than the usernames and
passwords in the local database means that the user cannot be certain which username and password
should be given.
The local database supports the following fallback functions:
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Configuring the Local Database

This section describes how to manage users in the local database. You can use the local database for
CLI access authentication, privileged mode authentication, command authorization, network access
authentication, and VPN authentication and authorization. You cannot use the local database for network
access authorization. The local database does not support accounting.
For multiple context mode, you can configure usernames in the system execution space to provide
individual logins using the login command; however, you cannot configure any aaa commands in the
system execution space.
To define a user account in the local database, perform the following steps:
To create the user account, enter the following command:
Step 1
hostname(config)# username name {nopassword | password password [mschap]} [privilege
priv_level ]
OL-12172-03
Console and enable password authentication—When you use the aaa authentication console
command, you can add the LOCAL keyword after the AAA server group tag. If the servers in the
group all are unavailable, the security appliance uses the local database to authenticate
administrative access. This can include enable password authentication, too.
Command authorization—When you use the aaa authorization command command, you can
add the LOCAL keyword after the AAA server group tag. If the TACACS+ servers in the group all
are unavailable, the local database is used to authorize commands based on privilege levels.
VPN authentication and authorization—VPN authentication and authorization are supported to
enable remote access to the security appliance if AAA servers that normally support these VPN
services are unavailable. The authentication-server-group command, available in tunnel-group
general attributes mode, lets you specify the LOCAL keyword when you are configuring attributes
of a tunnel group. When VPN client of an administrator specifies a tunnel group configured to
fallback to the local database, the VPN tunnel can be established even if the AAA server group is
unavailable, provided that the local database is configured with the necessary attributes.
Cisco Security Appliance Command Line Configuration Guide
Configuring the Local Database
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