4
Figure 3 MACsec interactive process in client-oriented mode
The following shows the MACsec process:
1. After the client passes 802.1X authentication, the RADIUS server distributes the generated
CAK to the client and the access device.
2. After receiving the CAK, the client and the access device exchange EAPOL-MKA packets.
The client and the access device exchange the MACsec capability and required parameters for
session establishment. The parameters include MKA key server priority and MACsec desire.
During the negotiation process, the access device automatically becomes the key server. The
key server generates an SAK from the CAK for packet encryption, and it distributes the SAK to
the client.
3. The client and the access device use the SAK to encrypt packets, and they send and receive
the encrypted packets in secure channels.
4. When the access device receives a logoff request from the client, it immediately removes the
associated secure session from the port. The remove operation prevents an unauthorized client
from using the secure session established by the previous authorized client to access the
network.
The MKA protocol also defines a session keepalive timer. If one participant does not receive any
MKA packets from the peer after the timer expires, the participant removes the established secure
session. The keepalive time is 6 seconds.
Operating mechanism for device-oriented mode
As shown in Figure 4, the devices use the configured preshared keys to start the session negotiation.
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MKA
MACsec
802.1X
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