Configuring Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting 181
•The 
ias
 method is a special method that is only used for 802.1X. It uses an 
internal database (separate from the local user database) that acts like an 
802.1X authentication server. This method never returns an error. It will 
always pass or deny a user.
•The 
line
 method uses the password for the access line on which the user is 
accessing the switch. If there is no line password defined for the access 
line, then the line method will return an error.
•The 
local
 method uses the local user database. If the user password does 
not match, then access is denied. This method returns an error if the user 
name is not present in the local user database.
•The 
none
 method does not perform any service, but instead always returns 
a result as if the service had succeeded. This method never returns an error.
•The 
radius
 and 
tacacs
 methods communicate with servers running the 
RADIUS and TACACS+ protocols, respectively. These methods can 
return an error if the switch is unable to contact the server.
Access Lines
There are five access lines: console, telnet, SSH, HTTP, and HTTPS. HTTP 
and HTTPS are not configured using AAA method lists. Instead, the 
authentication list for HTTP and HTTPS is configured directly 
(authorization and accounting are not supported). The default method lists 
for both the HTTP and HTTPS access lines consist of only the local method. 
Each of the other access lines may be assigned method lists independently for 
the AAA services.
Authentication
Authentication is the process of validating a user's identity. During the 
authentication process, only identity validation is done. There is no 
determination made of which switch services the user is allowed to access. 
This is true even when RADIUS is used for authentication; RADIUS cannot 
perform separate transactions for authentication and authorization. However, 
the RADIUS server can provide attributes during the authentication process 
that are used in the authorization process.
There are three types of authentication: