Aaa Overview; Introduction To Aaa; Authentication; Authorization - 3Com WX3000 Series Operation Manual

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AAA Overview

The sample output information in this manual was created on the WX3024. The output information on
your device may vary.

Introduction to AAA

AAA is the acronym for the three security functions: authentication, authorization and accounting. It
provides a uniform framework for you to configure these three functions to implement network security
management.
Authentication: Defines what users can access the network,
Authorization: Defines what services can be available to the users who can access the network,
and
Accounting: Defines how to charge the users who are using network resources.
Typically, AAA operates in the client/server model: the client runs on the managed resources side while
the server stores the user information. Thus, AAA is well scalable and can easily implement centralized
management of user information.

Authentication

AAA supports the following authentication methods:
None authentication: Users are trusted and are not checked for their validity. Generally, this
method is not recommended.
Local authentication: User information (including user name, password, and some other attributes)
is configured on this device, and users are authenticated on this device instead of on a remote
device. Local authentication is fast and requires lower operational cost, but has the deficiency that
information storage capacity is limited by device hardware.
Remote authentication: Users are authenticated remotely through RADIUS or HWTACACS
protocol. This device acts as the client to communicate with the RADIUS or TACACS server. You
can use standard or extended RADIUS protocols in conjunction with such systems as iTELLIN/iMC
for user authentication. Remote authentication allows convenient centralized management and is
feature-rich. However, to implement remote authentication, a server is needed and must be
configured properly.

Authorization

AAA supports the following authorization methods:
Direct authorization: Users are trusted and directly authorized.
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