Access and Configuration Control on Network devices

[Edson Vuma]

Hi, guys.

I would like to know if there is a way of having Access and Configuration Control on network devices, particullary Switches and Routers.

Actually there is a common username and password, so, if any configuration is made there is no way to know:

1. Who did it!

2. What did!

So, this is what Im looking for.

I dont know if this is on the right topic, sorry if is not.

Any help?

--

Regards
Edson Vuma       

[daniel.dib]

Yes, this is possible by configuring AAA (Authentication, Authorization, Accounting).

Authentication authenticates the user to see if they are allowed access to the device (who).

Authorization is used to authorize the commands entered so that users can't do things they shouldn't be able to (what).

Accounting logs the edits to the configuration to be able to see which user did what.

Usually routers and switches are setup to authenticate via a TACACS+ server, this could be Cisco ACS or another server that does authentication.

You setup the number of accounts that you need and add your network devices with the proper authentication key. You can setup different privileges for different users, you can be very granular and allow a user to use all commands except router bgp and things like that.

The accounting part shows through logs what has been done to the device. It's important to have syncrhonized clocks so that the timestamps are accurate.

Daniel Dib
CCIE #37149

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[kaaftab]

just configure AAA and get the log but if you donot want to configure it just make a syslog server you will be getting notification and later you can do advance control on the users.

[Edson Vuma]

Hi, guys.

Just a quick question.

Cisco ACS is only for Cisco devices?

If I had an environment where the Routers and Switches are from Cisco, but the firewalls from another vendor, in case, Juniper, does Cisco ACS cover the whole net devices?

Or is there another solution for that?

Warm regards

[Bilal Nawaz]

Hello Edson, you may have had the answer to your question already, in any case - you can use ACS for other devices and other vendors e.g. Checkpoint, Juniper etc... so long as they support TACACS+ we use checkpoint with ACS which works.