Authenticating Management Sessions Through a TACACS+ Server

You can use a Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+) server to authenticate management sessions for multiple switches.

A TACACS+ server allows you to centralize the authentication database, so that you do not have to maintain a separate local database on each switch. TACACS+ servers provide the following services:
Note

Note

You can use a local database on each switch as a backup authentication service if the TACACS+ service is unavailable. When the TACACS+ service is operating, privileges defined on the TACACS+ server take precedence over privileges configured in the local database.
To use TACACS+ server features, you need the following components:
Note

Note

TACACS+ is a communications protocol that is used between client and server to implement the TACACS+ service. The TACACS+ client component of the ExtremeXOS software should be compatible with any TACACS+ compliant server product.

Note

Note

The switch allows local authentication when the client IP is excluded in TACACS+ server by default. To disallow local authentication when the client IP is excluded in TACACS+ server the local authentication disallow option should be used.

For information on installing, configuring, and managing a TACACS+ server, see the product documentation for that server.

The following describes how to configure the ExtremeXOS TACACS+ client component in the ExtremeXOS software: Configuring the TACACS+ Client for Authentication and Authorization.