Authentication Configuration Options - HP A7533A - Brocade 4Gb SAN Switch Base Administrator's Manual

To enable LDAP service, you will need to install a certificate on the Microsoft Active Directory server.
The configuration applies to all switches and on a Director the configuration replicates itself on a standby
CP blade if one is present. It is saved in a configuration upload and applied in a configuration download.
You should configure at least two RADIUS servers so that if one fails, the other will assume service.
You can set the configuration with both RADIUS or LDAP service and local authentication enabled so that if
the RADIUS or LDAP servers do not respond due to power failure or network problems, the switch uses
local authentication.
Consider the following effects of the use of RADIUS or LDAP service on other Fabric OS features:
• When RADIUS or LDAP service is enabled, all account passwords must be managed on the RADIUS or
LDAP server. The Fabric OS mechanisms for changing switch passwords remain functional; however,
such changes affect only the involved switches locally. They do not propagate to the RADIUS or LDAP
server, nor do they affect any account on the RADIUS or LDAP server.
When RADIUS or LDAP is set up for a fabric that contains a mix of switches with and without RADIUS
or LDAP support, the way a switch authenticates users depends on whether a RADIUS or LDAP server is
set up for that switch. For a switch with RADIUS or LDAP support and configuration, authentication
bypasses the local password database. For a switch without RADIUS or LDAP support or configuration,
authentication uses the switch's local account names and passwords.
• The following behaviors apply to Web Tools:
• Web Tools client and server keep a session open after a user is authenticated. A password change
on a switch invalidates an open session and requires the user to log in again. When integrated with
RADIUS or LDAP, a switch password change on the RADIUS or LDAP server does not invalidate an
existing open session, although a password change on the local switch does.
• If you cannot log in because of a RADIUS or LDAP server connection problem, Web Tools displays
a message indicating server outage.
Table 12 outlines the aaaConfig command options used to set up the authentication model.
Table 12

Authentication configuration options

aaaConfig options
--authspec "local"
--authspec "radius"
--authspec "radius;local"
70 Managing user accounts
Description
Replaces --localonly.
Default setting. Authenticates
management connections against the
local database only.
If the password does not match or the
user is not defined, the login fails.
Replaces --radiusonly
Authenticates management connections
against the RADIUS database(s) only.
If the RADIUS service is not available or
the credentials do not match, the login
fails.
Replaces --radiuslocal.
Authenticates management connections
against any RADIUS databases first.
If RADIUS fails for any reason,
authenticates against the local user
database.
Equivalent setting in Fabric
OS 5.1.0 and earlier
radius switchdb
-- --
Off On
On Off
not not supported
supported
1