Brocade FastIron Ethernet Switch Security Configuration Guide - Manual (Page 170)

IETF RFC support
Brocade FastIron devices support the IEEE 802.1X standard for authenticating devices attached to
LAN ports. Using 802.1X port security, you can configure a FastIron device to grant access to a port
based on information supplied by a client to an authentication server.
When a user logs on to a network that uses 802.1X port security, the Brocade device grants (or does
not grant) access to network services after the user is authenticated by an authentication server. The
user-based authentication in 802.1X port security provides an alternative to granting network access
based on a user IP address, MAC address, or subnetwork.
The Brocade implementation of 802.1X port security supports the following RFCs:
• RFC 2284 PPP Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)
• RFC 2865 Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)
• RFC 2869 RADIUS Extensions
How 802.1X port security works
This section explains the basic concepts behind 802.1X port security, including device roles, how the
devices communicate, and the procedure used for authenticating clients.
NOTE
802.1X Port Security cannot be configured on MAC Port Security-enabled ports.
Device roles in an 802.1X configuration
The 802.1X standard defines the roles of Client/Supplicant, Authenticator, and Authentication Server
in a network.
The Client (known as a Supplicant in the 802.1X standard) provides username/password information
to the Authenticator. The Authenticator sends this information to the Authentication Server. Based on
the Client's information, the Authentication Server determines whether the Client can use services
provided by the Authenticator. The Authentication Server passes this information to the Authenticator,
which then provides services to the Client, based on the authentication result.
The following figure illustrates these roles.
IETF RFC support
170 FastIron Ethernet Switch Security Configuration Guide
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