Configuring Username and Password Security

Front-Panel Security

Reset-on-clear:Shows the status of the reset-on-clear option (Enabled or Disabled). When reset-on-clear is disabled and Clear Password is enabled, then pressing the Clear button erases the local usernames and passwords from the switch. When reset-on-clear is enabled, pressing the Clear button erases the local usernames and passwords from the switch and reboots the switch. (Enabling reset-on-clearautomatically enables clear-password.) (Default: Disabled.)

Note: If you have stored security credentials (including the local manager and operator usernames and passwords) to the running config file by entering the include-credentialscommand, the Reset-on-clearoption is ignored. If you press the Clear button on the front panel, the manager and operator usernames and passwords are deleted from the startup configuration file, but the switch does not reboot. For more information about storing security credentials, see “Saving Security Credentials in a Config File” on page 2-10 in this guide.

Factory Reset: Shows the status of the System Reset button on the front panel of the switch. Enabled means that pressing the System Reset button reboots the switch and also enables the System Reset button to be used with the Clear button (page

2-25) to reset the switch to its factory-default configuration. (Default: Enabled.)

Password Recovery: Shows whether the switch is configured with the ability to recover a lost password. (Refer to “Password Recovery Process” on page 2-34.) (Default: Enabled.)

CAUTION: Disabling this option removes the ability to recover a password on the switch. Disabling this option is an extreme measure and is not recommended unless you have the most urgent need for high security. If you disable password-recovery and then lose the password, you will have to use the Reset and Clear buttons (page 2-25) to reset the switch to its factory-default configuration and create a new password.

For example, show front-panel-securityproduces the following output when the switch is configured with the default front-panel security settings.

Figure 2-10. The Default Front-Panel Security Settings

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