Cisco Systems ASA5515K9, ASA 5500 Configuring AAA Servers and the Local Database

CHAPT ER
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Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using the CLI
35
Configuring AAA Servers and the Local Database
This chapter describes support for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA, pronounced
“triple A”), and how to configure AAA servers and the local database.
The chapter includes the following sections:
•Information About AAA, page35-1
•Licensing Requirements for AAA Servers, page35-10
•Guidelines and Limitations, page35-10
•Configuring AAA, page35-10
•Monitoring AAA Servers, page35-30
•Additional References, page35-31
•Feature History for AAA Servers, page35-31
Information About AAA
AAA enables the ASA to determine who the user is (authentication), what the user can do
(authorization), and what the user did (accounting).
AAA provides an extra level of protection and control for user access than using access lists alone. For
example, you can create an access list allowing all outside users to access Telnet on a server on the DMZ
network. If you want only some users to access the server and you might not always know IP addresses
of these users, you can enable AAA to allow only authenticated and/or authorized users to connect
through the ASA. (The Telnet server enforces authentication, too; the ASA prevents unauthorized users
from attempting to access the server.)
You can use authentication alone or with authorization and accounting. Authorization always requires a
user to be authenticated first. You can use accounting alone, or with authentication and authorization.
This section includes the following topics:
•Information About Authentication, page35-2
•Information About Authorization, page35-2
•Information About Accounting, page35-3
•Summary of Server Support, page35-3
•RADIUS Server Support, page35-4
•TACACS+ Server Support, page35-5