HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.x administrator guide (5697-7344, March 2008)

110 Configuring advanced security features
authutil –-set <fcap|dhchap> to set the authentication protocol which can then be verified using
the command authutil –-show CLI.
NOTE: The standards-compliant DH-CHAP and FCAP authentication protocols are not compatible with
the SLAP protocol that was the only protocol supported in earlier Fabric OS releases 4.2, 4.1, 3.1, 2.6.x.
Fabric OS 6.0.0 switch-to-switch authentication implementation is fully backward compatible with 3.2, 4.2,
4.4, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.0.
Use secAuthSecret to set a shared secret on the switch. When configured, the secret key pair are used
for authentication. Authentication occurs whenever there is a state change for the switch or port. The state
change can be due to a switch reboot, a switch or port disable and enable, or the activation of a policy.
Figure 1 DH-CHAP authentication
If you use DH-CHAP authentication, then a secret key pair must be installed only in connected fabric
elements. However, as connections are changed, new secret key pairs must be installed between newly
connected elements. Alternatively, a secret key pair for all possible connections may be initially installed,
enabling links to be arbitrarily changed while still maintaining a valid secret key pair for any new
connection.
The switch authentication (AUTH) policy initiates DH-CHAP/FCAP authentication on all E_Ports. This policy
is persistent across reboots, which means authentication will be initiated automatically on ports or switches
brought online if the policy is set to activate authentication. The AUTH policy is distributed using the
distribute command. The automatic distribution of the AUTH policy is not supported.
The default configuration directs the switch to attempt FCAP authentication first, DH-CHAP second. The
switch may be configured to negotiate FCAP, DH-CHAP, or both.
The DH group is used in the DH-CHAP protocol only. The FCAP protocol exchanges the DH group
information, but does not use it.
The AUTH policy is designed to accommodate mixed fabric environments that contain Fabric OS 6.0.0
and pre-6.0.0 switches. The policy states PASSIVE and OFF allow connection from Fabric OS 6.0.0
switches to pre-6.0.0 switches. These policy states do not allow switches to send the authentication
negotiation and therefore continue with the rest of port initialization.
E_Port authentication
The authentication (AUTH) policy allows you to configure the DH-CHAP authentication on the switch. By
default the policy is set to PASSIVE and you can change the policy using the authutil command All
changes to the AUTH policy are effective. This includes starting authentication on all E_Ports on the local
switch if the policy is changed to ON or ACTIVE, and clearing the authentication if the policy is changed
to OFF. The authentication configurations will be effective only on subsequent E_ and F_Port initialization.
A secret key pair has to be installed prior to changing the policy. The policy can be configured as follows:
$authutil –-policy -sw <ON|ACTIVE|PASSIVE|OFF>
Switch A
Switch B
Key database on switch
Local secret A
Peer secret B
Key database on switch
Local secret B
Peer secret A