Brocade Mobility Access Point System Reference Guide (Supporting software release 5.5.0.0 and later) - Manual (Page 620)

610 Brocade Mobility Access Point System Reference Guide
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18. Enter the Proxy server‘s IP Address. This is the address of server checking the information in
the user access request. The proxy server either accepts or rejects the request on behalf of the
RADIUS server.
19. Enter the TCP/IP Port Number for the server that acts as a data source for the proxy server. Use
the spinner to select a value from 1024 - 65535. The default port is 1812.
20. Enter the RADIUS client’s Shared Secret for authenticating the RADIUS proxy.
21. Select the Show check box to expose the shared secret’s actual character string. Leave the
option unselected to display the shared secret as a string of asterisks (*).
22. Select the OK button to save the changes. Select the Reset button to revert to the last saved
configuration.
23. Select the LDAP and ensure the Activate RADIUS Server Policy button remains selected.
Administrators have the option of using the access point’s RADIUS server to authenticate users
against an external LDAP server resource. An external LDAP user database allows the
centralization of user information and reduces administrative user management overhead.
Thus, making the RADIUS authorization process more secure and efficient.
RADIUS is not just a database. It’s a protocol for asking intelligent questions to a user
database (like LDAP). LDAP however is just a database of user credentials used optionally with
the RADIUS server to free up resources and manage user credentials from a secure remote
location. It’s the access point’s RADIUS resources that provide the tools to perform user
authentication and authorize users based on complex checks and logic. There’s no way to
perform such complex authorization checks from a LDAP user database alone.