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2-11
Fabric Management
User Account Security
User account security consists of the administration of account names,
passwords, expiration date, and authority level. If an account has Admin
authority, all management tasks can be performed by that account in
McDATA Embedded Web Server, McDATA Element Manager, and the Telnet
command line interface. Otherwise only monitoring tasks are available. The
default account name, Admin, is the only account that can create or change
account names and passwords. Account names and passwords are always
required when connecting to a switch.
Authentication of the user account and password can be performed locally
using the switch’s user account database or it can be done remotely using a
RADIUS server such as Microsoft® RADIUS. Authenticating user logins on a
RADIUS server requires a secure management connection to the switch. Refer
to “Connection Security” on page 2-9 for information about securing the
management connection. A RADIUS server can also be used to authenticate
devices and other switches as described in “Device Security” on page 2-10.
Consider your management needs and determine the number of user
accounts, their authority needs, and expiration dates. Also consider the
advantages of centralizing user administration and authentication on a
RADIUS server.
NOTE: If the same user account exists on a switch and its RADIUS server, that user
can login with either password, but the authority and account expiration will always
come from the switch database.
Fabric Management
The McDATA Embedded Web Server application, McDATA Element
Manager application, and CLI reside on the switch. These applications
provide for the configuration, control, and maintenance of one fabric using
McDATA Embedded Web Server, or one switch using McDATA Element
Manager or the CLI. McDATA Element Manager requires the Element
Manager PFE key and must be launched from EFCM. Supported workstation
platforms include Windows and Linux.
Consider how many fabrics will be managed, how many management
workstations are needed, and whether the fabrics will be managed with the
McDATA Embedded Web Server, McDATA Element Manager, or the CLI.
A switch supports a combined maximum of 19 logins reserved as follows:
• 4 logins or sessions for internal applications such as management server
and SNMP
• 9 high priority Telnet sessions
• 6 logins or sessions for McDATA Embedded Web Server, McDATA
Element Manager, Telnet. Additional logins will be refused.