RADIUS Authentication and Accounting

Configuring the Switch for RADIUS Authentication

3. Configure the Switch’s Global RADIUS Parameters

You can configure the switch for the following global RADIUS parameters:

Number of login attempts: In a given session, specifies how many tries at entering the correct username and password pair are allowed before access is denied and the session terminated. (This is a general aaa authentication parameter and is not specific to RADIUS.)

Global server key: The server key the switch will use for contacts with all RADIUS servers for which there is not a server-specific key configured by radius-server host < ip-address> key < key-string>. This key is optional if you configure a server-specific key for each RADIUS server entered in the switch. (Refer to “2. Configure the Switch To Access a RADIUS Server” on page 3-10.)

Server timeout: Defines the time period in seconds for authentica- tion attempts. If the timeout period expires before a response is received, the attempt fails.

Server dead time: Specifes the time in minutes during which the switch avoids requesting authentication from a server that has not responded to previous requests.

Retransmit attempts: If the first attempt to contact a RADIUS server fails, specifies how many retries you want the switch to attempt on that server.

Syntax: aaa authentication num-attempts <1 .. 10 >

Specifies how many tries for entering the correct username and password before shutting down the session due to input errors. (Default: 3; Range: 1 - 10).

[no] radius-server

key < global-key-string >

Specifies the global encryption key the switch uses with servers for which the switch does not have a server­ specific key assignment. This key is optional if all RADIUS server addresses configured in the switch in­ clude a server-specific encryption key. (Default: Null.)

dead-time < 1 .. 1440 >

Optional. Specifies the time in minutes during which the switch will not attempt to use a RADIUS server that has not responded to an earlier authentication attempt. (Default: 0; Range: 1 - 1440 minutes)

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