Cisco Systems OL-7371-02 manual Advantages Disadvantages, 10-2

Chapter 10 Setting Up Authentication for the Cisco Unity Administrator

Determining the Authentication Method to Use for the Cisco Unity Administrator

The following three subsections discuss the available authentication methods and how they work:

•Authentication Methods Available for the Cisco Unity Administrator, page 10-2

•How Integrated Windows Authentication Works with the Cisco Unity Administrator, page 10-3

•How Anonymous Authentication Works with the Cisco Unity Administrator, page 10-4

Authentication Methods Available for the Cisco Unity Administrator

By default, IIS is configured so that the Cisco Unity Administrator uses the Integrated Windows authentication method (formerly called NTLM or Windows NT Challenge/Response authentication) to authenticate the user name and password. If you prefer, you can configure IIS so that the Cisco Unity Administrator uses the Anonymous authentication method instead.

To determine which authentication method to use, first discuss it with the network administrator to confirm that the method you choose aligns with the existing authentication scheme in the organization and addresses security concerns for the site. In addition, consider the advantages and disadvantages of using each authentication method with the Cisco Unity Administrator, as shown in Table 10-1and Table 10-2.

Refer to the Microsoft website for general information on the strengths and weaknesses of using either Integrated Windows or Anonymous authentication.

Table 10-1lists the advantages and disadvantages of using Integrated Windows authentication with the Cisco Unity Administrator.

Table 10-1 Using Integrated Windows Authentication with the Cisco Unity Administrator

Advantages	Disadvantages
• User credentials are not sent across the	• Windows cannot validate the identity of a user when the user is
network. Instead, Internet Explorer and	logged on to an untrusted domain. To solve this problem, configure
Windows use a challenge/response	each subscriber browser to prompt for a user name and password so
mechanism to authenticate the user.	that subscribers can enter the applicable credentials for the domain
• By default, IIS is already set up so that the	that the Cisco Unity server is in. Alternatively, you can establish
	trusts across domains.
Cisco Unity Administrator uses the Integrated
Windows authentication method.	• When subscribers log on to the Cisco Unity Administrator from
	another domain, they are prompted to re-enter their credentials each
	time that they want to use the phone as a recording and playback
	device for the Media Master.

Installation Guide for Cisco Unity 4.0(5) and Later Voice Messaging with Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000 (With Failover Configured)

10-2 OL-7371-02