Configuring the TACACS+ Client Timeout Value

To configure the timeout if a server fails to respond, use the following command:
configure tacacs timeout seconds

To detect and recover from a TACACS+ server failure when the timeout has expired, the switch makes one authentication attempt before trying the next designated TACACS+ server or reverting to the local database for authentication. In the event that the switch still has IP connectivity to the TACACS+ server, but a TCP session cannot be established, (such as a failed TACACS+ daemon on the server), fail over happens immediately regardless of the configured timeout value.

For example, if the timeout value is set for three seconds (the default value), it will take three seconds to fail over from the primary TACACS+ server to the secondary TACACS+ server. If both the primary and the secondary servers fail or are unavailable, it takes approximately six seconds to revert to the local database for authentication.