764 802.1x CommandsWhenever an operator configures a port in Dot1x authentication mode andselects the authentication method as internal, then the user credentialsreceived from the Dot1x supplicant is validated against the IDAS by Dot1xcomponent. The Dot1x application accesses the Dot1x user database tocheck whether the user credentials present in the authentication messagecorresponds to a valid user or not. If so then an event is generated whichtriggers the Dot1x state machine to send a challenge to the supplicant.Otherwise a failure is returned to the Dot1x state machine and the user is notgranted access to the port.If user(s) credentials are changed, the existing user connection(s) are notdisturbed and the changed user(s) credentials are only used when a new EAPrequest arises.A CLI configuration mode is added in order to configure dot1x users andtheir attributes. The Dot1x maintained user database can be exported(uploaded) or imported (downloaded) to/from a central location using aTFTP server.MAC Authentication BypassToday, 802.1x has become the recommended port-based authenticationmethod at the access layer in enterprise networks. However, there may be802.1x unaware devices such as printers, fax-machines etc that would requireaccess to the network without 802.1x authentication. MAC AuthenticationBypass (MAB) is a supplemental authentication mechanism to allow 802.1xunaware clients to authenticate to the network. It uses the 802,1xinfrastructure and MAB cannot be supported independent of the Dot1xcomponent.MAC Authentication Bypass (MAB) provides 802.1x unaware clientscontrolled access to the network using the devices’ MAC address as anidentifier. This requires that the known and allowable MAC address andcorresponding access rights be pre-populated in the authentication server.MAB only works when the port control mode of the port is MAC-based.Port access by MAB clients is allowed if the Dot1x user database hascorresponding entries added for the MAB clients with user name andpassword attributes set to the MAC address of MAB clients.
