KB.15.15

Configuring front panel security

Syntax:

show front-panel-security

Displays the current front panel security settings:

clear password

Shows the status of the Clear button on the front panel of the switch. Enabled

means that pressing the Clear button erases the local usernames and passwords

configured on the switch (and thus removes local password protection from the

switch.) Disabled means that pressing the Clear button does not remove the local

usernames and passwords configured on the switch.

Default: Enabled

reset-on-clear shows the status of the option enabled or disabled. When

reset-on-clear is disabled and the commandclear password is enabled,

then pressing the Clear button erases the local usernames and passwords from the

switch. When reset-on-clear command is enabled, pressing the Clear button

erases the local usernames and passwords from the switch and reboots the switch.

Enabling reset-on-clear automatically enables the clear-password

command.

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-credentials command, the reset-on-clear option 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.

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. See “Restoring the factory

default configuration” (page 43) 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.

See “Recovering passwords” (page 45). 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, see “Restoring the factory default configuration” (page 43) to

reset the switch to factory default configuration and create a new password.

Using this command from the global configuration context in the CLI you can:

• Disable or re-enable the password clearing function of the Clear button. Disabling the Clear

button means that pressing it does not remove local password protection from the switch. This

action affects the Clear button when used alone, but does not affect the operation of the

40 Configuring Username and Password Security