TACACS+ Authentication

Terminology Used in TACACS Applications:

everyone who needs to access the switch, and you must configure and manage password protection on a per-switch basis. (For more on local authentication, refer to chapter 2, “Configuring Username and Password Security”.)

•TACACS+ Authentication: This method enables you to use a TACACS+ server in your network to assign a unique password, user name, and privilege level to each individual or group who needs access to one or more switches or other TACACS-aware devices. This allows you to administer primary authentication from a central server, and to do so with more options than you have when using only local authentication. (You will still need to use local authentication as a backup if your TACACS+ servers become unavailable.) This means, for example, that you can use a central TACACS+ server to grant, change, or deny access to a specific individual on a specific switch instead of having to change local user name and password assignments on the switch itself, and then have to notify other users of the change.

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