HP Manager Software manual Configuring and Managing Access Rules for Network Users, Authentication

286CHAPTER 7: CONFIGURING AUTHENTICATION, AUTHORIZATION, AND ACCOUNTING PARAMETERS

Configuring and Managing Access Rules for Network Users

Authentication

Network users include the following types of users:

„Wireless users — Users who access the network by associating with an SSID on a 3Com radio.

„Wired authentication users — Users who access the network over an Ethernet connection to a WX switch port that is configured as a wired authentication (wired-auth) port.

You can configure authentication rules for each type of user, on an individual SSID or wired authentication port basis. MSS authenticates users based on user information on RADIUS servers or in the WX switch’s local database. The RADIUS servers or local database authorize successfully authenticated users for specific network access, including VLAN membership. Optionally, you also can configure accounting rules to track network access information.

The following sections describe the MSS authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) features in more detail.

When a user attempts to access the network, MSS checks for an authentication rule that matches the following parameters:

„For wireless access, the authentication rule must match the SSID the user is requesting, and the user’s username or MAC address.

„For access on a wired authentication port, the authentication rule must match the user’s username or MAC address.

If a matching rule is found, MSS then checks RADIUS servers or the WX switch’s local user database for credentials that match those presented by the user. Depending on the type of authentication rule that matches the SSID or wired authentication port, the required credentials are the username or MAC address, and in some cases, a password.

Each authentication rule specifies where the user credentials are stored. The location can be a group of RADIUS servers or the WX switch’s local database. In either case, if MSS has an authentication rule that matches on the required parameters, MSS checks the username or MAC address of the user and, if required, the password to make sure they match the information configured on the RADIUS servers or in the local database.