5-4
TACACS+ Authentication
General System Requirements
General System Requirements
To use TACACS+ authentication, you need the following:
■ A TACACS+ server application installed and configured on one or 
more servers or management stations in your network. (There are 
several TACACS+ software packages available.)
■ A switch configured for TACACS+ authentication, with access to one 
or more TACACS+ servers. 
Notes The effectiveness of TACACS+ security depends on correctly using your 
TACACS+ server application. For this reason, HP recommends that you 
thoroughly test all TACACS+ configurations used in your network. 
TACACS-aware HP switches include the capability of configuring multiple 
backup TACACS+ servers. HP recommends that you use a TACACS+ server 
application that supports a redundant backup installation. This allows you to 
configure the switch to use a backup TACACS+ server if it loses access to the 
first-choice TACACS+ server.
TACACS+ does not affect WebAgent access. Refer to “Controlling WebAgent 
Access When Using TACACS+ Authentication” on page 5-28.
General Authentication Setup Procedure
It is important to test the TACACS+ service before fully implementing it. 
Depending on the process and parameter settings you use to set up and test 
TACACS+ authentication in your network, you could accidentally lock all 
users, including yourself, out of access to a switch. While recovery is simple, 
it may pose an inconvenience that can be avoided.To prevent an unintentional 
lockout on the switch, use a procedure that configures and tests TACACS+ 
protection for one access type (for example, Telnet access), while keeping the 
other access type (console, in this case) open in case the Telnet access fails 
due to a configuration problem. The following procedure outlines a general 
setup procedure.