Users Guide

Table Of Contents
Dell PowerConnect ArubaOS 5.0 | User Guide Authentication Servers | 231
Chapter 8
Authentication Servers
The ArubaOS software allows you to use an external authentication server or the controller internal user database
to authenticate clients who need to access the wireless network.
Important Points to Remember
z In order for an external authentication server to process requests from the Dell controller, you must configure
the server to recognize the controller. Refer to the vendor documentation for information on configuring the
authentication server.
z Instructions on how to configure Microsoft’s IAS and Active Directory can be viewed at:
Microsoft’s IAS
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/technologies/ias.mspx
Active Directory
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/technologies/featured/ad/default.mspx
This chapter describes the following topics:
z “Servers and Server Groups” on page231
z “Configuring Servers” on page232
z “Internal Database” on page236
z “Server Groups” on page239
Servers and Server Groups
ArubaOS supports the following external authentication servers:
z RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service)
z LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
z TACACS+ (Terminal Access controller Access Control System)
z Windows (For stateful NTLM authentication)
Additionally, you can use the controller’s internal database to authenticate users. You create entries in the
database for users and their passwords and default role.
You can create groups of servers for specific types of authentication. For example, you can specify one or more
RADIUS servers to be used for 802.1x authentication. The list of servers in a server group is an ordered list. This
means that the first server in the list is always used unless it is unavailable, in which case the next server in the list
is used. You can configure servers of different types in one group — for example, you can include the internal
database as a backup to a RADIUS server.
Figure 40 graphically represents a server group named “Radii” that consists of two RADIUS servers, Radius-1 and
Radius-2. The server group is assigned to the server group for 802.1x authentication.