Cisco Cloud APIC Security

This chapter contains the following sections:

Access, Authentication, and Accounting

Cisco Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) policies manage the authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) functions. The combination of user privileges, roles, and domains with access rights inheritance enables administrators to configure AAA functions at the managed object level in a granular fashion. These configurations can be implemented using the REST API or the GUI.


Note

There is a known limitation where you cannot have more than 32 characters for the login domain name. In addition, the combined number of characters for the login domain name and the user name cannot exceed 64 characters.

For more access, authentication, and accounting configuration information, see Cisco APIC Security Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/4-x/security/Cisco-APIC-Security-Configuration-Guide-401.html.

Configuration

The admin account is configured in the initial configuration script, and the admin is the only user when the system starts.

Configuring a Local User

Refer to Creating a Local User Using the Cisco Cloud APIC GUI to configure a Local User and associate it to the OTP, SSH Public Key, and X.509 User Certificate using the Cisco Cloud APIC GUI.

Configuring TACACS+, RADIUS, LDAP and SAML Access

The following topics describe how to configure TACACS+, RADIUS, LDAP and SAML access for the Cisco Cloud APIC.

Configuring Cloud APIC for TACACS+ Access

Before you begin

  • The Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) is online.

  • The TACACS+ server host name or IP address, port, and key are available.

  • The Cloud APIC management endpoint group is available.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Cloud APIC, create the TACACS+ Provider.

  1. Click the Global Create icon.

    The Global Create menu appears.

  2. Scroll down until you see the Administrative area, then click Create Provider under the Administrative area.

    The Create Provider dialog box appears.

  3. In the Host Name/IP Address field, enter the Host Name/IP Address of the provider.

  4. In the Description field, enter a description of the provider.

  5. Click the Type drop-down list and choose TACACS+.

  6. In Settings section, specify the Key, Port, Authentication Protocol, Timeout, Retries, Management EPG. Select either Enabled or Disabled for Server Monitoring.

Step 2

Create the Login Domain for TACACS+.

  1. Click the Global Create icon.

    The Global Create menu appears.

  2. Click the drop-down arrow below the Global Create search box and choose Administrative.

    A list of Administrative options appear in the Global Create menu.

  3. From the Administrative list in the Global Create menu, click Create Login Domain.

    The Create Login Domain dialog box appears.

  4. Enter the appropriate values in each field as listed in the following Create Login Domain Dialog Box Fields table then continue.

    Properties

    Description

    General

    Name

    Enter the name of the Login Domain

    Description

    Enter the description of the Login Domain.

    Settings

    Realm

    Choose TACACS+ from the dropdown menu

    Providers

    To choose a Provider(s):

    1. Click Add Providers. The Select Providers dialog appears.

    2. Click to choose a provider(s) in the column on the left.

    3. Click Select. You return to the Create Login Domain dialog box.

  5. Click Save to save the configuration.

What to do next

This completes the APIC TACACS+ configuration steps. Next, if a RADIUS server will also be used, configure the APIC for RADIUS.

Configuring Cloud APIC for RADIUS Access

Before you begin

  • The Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) is online.

  • The RADIUS server host name or IP address, port, and key are available.

  • The Cloud APIC management endpoint group is available.

Procedure

Step 1

In the Cloud APIC, create the RADIUS Provider.

  1. Click the Global Create icon.

    The Global Create menu appears.

  2. Scroll down until you see the Administrative area, then click Create Provider under the Administrative area.

    The Create Provider dialog box appears.

  3. In the Host Name/IP Address field, enter the Host Name/IP Address of the provider.

  4. In the Description field, enter a description of the provider.

  5. Click the Type drop-down list and choose RADIUS.

  6. In the Settings section, specify the Key, Port, Authentication Protocol, Timeout, Retries, Management EPG. Select either Enabled or Disabled for Server Monitoring.

Step 2

Create the Login Domain for RADIUS.

  1. Click the Global Create icon.

    The Global Create menu appears.

  2. Click the drop-down arrow below the Global Create search box and choose Administrative

    A list of Administrative options appear in the Global Create menu.

  3. From the Administrative list in the Global Create menu, click Create Login Domain.

    The Create Login Domain dialog box appears.

  4. Enter the appropriate values in each field as listed in the following Create Login Domain Dialog Box Fields table then continue.

    Properties

    Description

    General

    Name

    Enter the name of the Login Domain

    Description

    Enter the description of the Login Domain.

    Settings

    Realm

    Choose RADIUS from the dropdown menu

    Providers

    To choose a Provider(s):

    1. Click Add Providers. The Select Providers dialog appears.

    2. Click to choose a provider(s) in the column on the left.

    3. Click Select. You return to the Create Login Domain dialog box.

  5. Click Save to save the configuration.

What to do next

This completes the Cloud APIC RADIUS configuration steps. Next, configure the RADIUS server.

Configuring LDAP Access

There are two options for LDAP configurations:

  • Configure a Cisco AVPair

  • Configure LDAP group maps in the cloud APIC

The following sections contain instructions for both configuration options.

Configuring Cloud APIC for LDAP Access

Before you begin

  • The Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (Cloud APIC) is online.

  • The LDAP server host name or IP address, port, bind DN, Base DN, and password are available.

  • The cloud APIC management endpoint group is available.

Procedure
Step 1

In the Cloud APIC, create the LDAP Provider.

  1. On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Authentication.

  2. In the Work pane, click on Providers tab and then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Provider.

  3. In the Host Name/IP Address field, enter the Host Name/IP Address of the provider.

  4. In the Description field, enter a description of the provider.

  5. Click the Type drop-down list and choose LDAP.

  6. Specify the Bind DN, Base DN, Password, Port, Attribute, Filter Type and Management EPG.

    Note 

    • The bind DN is the string that the Cloud APIC uses to log in to the LDAP server. The Cloud APIC uses this account to validate the remote user attempting to log in. The base DN is the container name and path in the LDAP server where the Cloud APIC searches for the remote user account. This is where the password is validated. Filter is used to locate the attribute that the Cloud APIC requests to use for the cisco-av-pair. This contains the user authorization and assigned RBAC roles for use on the Cloud APIC. The Cloud APIC requests the attribute from the LDAP server.

    • Attribute field—Enter one of the following:

      • For LDAP server configurations with a Cisco AVPair, enter CiscoAVPair.

      • For LDAP server configurations with an LDAP group map, enter memberOf.

Step 2

Create the Login Domain for LDAP.

  1. On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Authentication.

  2. In the Work pane, click on Login Domains tab and then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Login Domain.

  3. Enter the appropriate values in each field as listed in the following Create Login Domain Dialog Box Fields table then continue.

    Properties

    Description

    General

    Name

    Enter the name of the Login Domain

    Description

    Enter the description of the Login Domain.

    Settings

    Realm

    Choose LDAP from the dropdown menu

    Providers

    To choose a Provider(s):

    1. Click Add Providers. The Select Providers dialog appears.

    2. Click to choose a provider(s) in the column on the left.

    3. Click Select. You return to the Create Login Domain dialog box.

    Authentication Type

    1. Select Cisco AV Pairs, if provider(s) was configured with CiscoAVPair as the Attribute.

    2. Select LDAP Group Map Rules, if provider(s) was configured with memberOf as the Attribute.

      1. Click Add LDAP Group Map Rule. The dialog box appears.

      2. Specify the map rule Name, Description (optional), and Group DN.

      3. Click the + next to Add Security Domain. The dialog box appears.

      4. Click the + to access the Role name and Role Privilege Type (Read or Write) fields. Click check mark.

      5. Repeat step 4 to add more roles. Then click Add.

      6. Repeat step 3 to add more security domains. Then click Add.

  4. Click Save on Create Login Domain dialog box.

Configuring Cloud APIC for SAML Access

The following sections provide detailed information on configuring Cloud APIC for SAML access.

About SAML

Refer to the section About SAML in the Cisco APIC Security Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/4-x/security/Cisco-APIC-Security-Configuration-Guide-401.html.

Basic Elements of SAML

Refer to the section Basic Elements of SAML in the Cisco APIC Security Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/4-x/security/Cisco-APIC-Security-Configuration-Guide-401.html.

Supported IdPs and SAML Components

Refer to the section Supported IdPs and SAML Components in the Cisco APIC Security Configuration Guide, Release 4.0(1) at https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/4-x/security/Cisco-APIC-Security-Configuration-Guide-401.html.

Configuring Cloud APIC for SAML Access


Note

SAML based Authentication is only for Cloud APIC GUI and not for REST.
Before you begin

  • The SAML server host name or IP address, and the IdP’s metadata URL are available.

  • The Cloud APIC management endpoint group is available.

  • Set up the following:

    • Time Synchronization and NTP

    • Configuring a DNS Provider Using the GUI

    • Configuring a Custom Certificate for Cisco ACI HTTPS Access Using the GUI

Procedure
Step 1

In the Cloud APIC, create the SAML Provider.

  1. On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Authentication.

  2. In the Work pane, click on Providers tab and then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Provider.

  3. In the Host Name/IP Address field, enter the Host Name/IP Address of the provider.

  4. In the Description field, enter a description of the provider.

  5. Click the Type drop-down list and choose SAML.

  6. In Settings pane, perform following:

    • Specify the IdP metadata URL:

      • In case of AD FS, IdP Metadata URL is of the format https://<FQDN ofADFS>/FederationMetadata/2007-06/FederationMetadata.xml.

      • In case of Okta, to get the IdP Metadata URL, copy the link for Identity Provider Metadata in the Sign On section of the corresponding SAML Application from the Okta server.

    • Specify the Entity ID for the SAML-based service.

    • Configure the HTTPS Proxy for Metadata URL if it is needed to access the IdP metadata URL.

    • Select the Certificate Authority if IdP is signed by a Private CA.

    • Select the Signature Algorithm Authentication User Requests from the drop-down.

    • Select checkbox to enable Sign SAML Authentication Requests, Sign SAML Response Message, Sign Assertions in SAML Response, Encrypt SAML Assertions.

  7. Click Save to save the configuration.

Step 2

Create the login domain for SAML.

  1. On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Authentication.

  2. In the Work pane, click on the Login Domains tab and then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Login Domain.

  3. Enter the appropriate values in each field as listed in the following Create Login Domain Dialog Box Fields table then continue.

    Properties

    Description

    General

    Name

    Enter the name of the Login Domain

    Description

    Enter the description of the Login Domain.

    Settings

    Realm

    Choose SAML from the dropdown menu

    Providers

    To choose a Provider(s):

    1. Click Add Providers. The Select Providers dialog appears.

    2. Click to choose a provider(s) in the column on the left.

    3. Click Select. You return to the Create Login Domain dialog box.

  4. Click Save to save the configuration.

Configuring HTTPS Access

The following sections describe how to configure HTTPS access.

Guidelines for Configuring Custom Certificates

  • Wild card certificates (such as *.cisco.com, which is used across multiple devices) and its associated private key generated elsewhere are not supported on the Cisco Cloud APIC as there is no support to input the private key or password in the Cisco Cloud APIC. Also, exporting private keys for any certificates, including wild card certificates, is not supported.

  • You must download and install the public intermediate and root CA certificates before generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). Although a root CA Certificate is not technically required to generate a CSR, Cisco requires the root CA certificate before generating the CSR to prevent mismatches between the intended CA authority and the actual one used to sign the CSR. The Cisco Cloud APIC verifies that the certificate submitted is signed by the configured CA.

  • To use the same public and private keys for a renewed certificate generation, you must satisfy the following guidelines:

    • You must preserve the originating CSR as it contains the public key that pairs with the private key in the key ring.

    • The same CSR used for the originating certificate must be resubmitted for the renewed certificate if you want to re-use the public and private keys on the Cisco Cloud APIC.

    • Do not delete the original key ring when using the same public and private keys for the renewed certificate. Deleting the key ring will automatically delete the associated private key used with CSRs.

  • Only one Certificate Based Root can be active per pod.

  • Client Certificate based authentication is not supported for this release.

Configuring a Custom Certificate for Cisco ACI HTTPS Access Using the GUI

Determine from which authority you will obtain the trusted certification so that you can create the appropriate Certificate Authority.

Before you begin

CAUTION: PERFORM THIS TASK ONLY DURING A MAINTENANCE WINDOW AS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR DOWNTIME. Expect a restart of all web servers on Cloud APIC during this operation.

Procedure

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Security.

Step 2

In the Work pane, click on Certificate Authorities tab and then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Certificate Authority.

Step 3

In the Create Certificate Authority dialog box, in the Name field, enter a name for the certificate authority and in the Description field, enter a description.

Step 4

Select System in the Used for field.

Step 5

In the Certificate Chain field, copy the intermediate and root certificates for the certificate authority that will sign the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for the Cloud Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC). The certificate should be in Base64 encoded X.509 (CER) format. The intermediate certificate is placed before the root CA certificate. It should look similar to the following example: 

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
<Intermediate Certificate>
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
<Root CA Certificate>
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
Step 6

Click Save.

Step 7

On the menu bar, choose Administrative > Security.

Step 8

In the Work pane, click on the Key Rings tab, then click on the Actions drop-down and select Create Key Ring.

Step 9

In the Create Key Ring dialog box, in the Name field, enter a name for the certificate authority and in Description enter description.

Step 10

Select System in the Used for field.

Step 11

For the Certificate Authority field, click on Select Certificate Authorityand select the Certificate Authority that you created earlier.

Step 12

Select either Generate New Key or Import Existing Key for the field Private Key. If you select Import Existing Key, enter a private key in the Private Key text box.

Step 13

Select modulus from the Modulus drop-down. menu

Step 14

In the Certificate field, do not add any content.

Step 15

Click Save.

In the Work pane, in the Key Rings area, the Admin State for the key ring created displays Started.

Step 16

Double-click on the created Key Ring to open Key Ring key_ring_name dialog box from the Work pane.

Step 17

In the Work pane, click on Create Certificate Request.

Step 18

In the Subject field, enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the Cloud APIC.

Step 19

Fill in the remaining fields as appropriate.
Step 20

Click Save.

The Key Ring key_ring_name dialog box appears.

Step 21

Copy the contents from the field Request to submit to the Certificate Authority for signing.

Step 22

From the Key Ring key_ring_name dialog box, click on edit icon to display the Key Ring key_ring_name dialog box.

Step 23

In the Certificate field, paste the signed certificate that you received from the certificate authority.

Step 24

Click Save to return to the Key Rings work pane.

The key is verified, and in the Work pane, the Admin State changes to Completed and is now ready for use in the HTTPs policy.

Step 25

Navigate to Infrastructure > System Configuration, then click the Management Access tab.

Step 26

Click the edit icon on the HTTPS work pane to display the HTTPS Settings dialog box.

Step 27

Click on Admin Key Ring and associate the Key Ring that you created earlier.

Step 28

Click Save.

All web servers restart. The certificate is activated, and the non-default key ring is associated with HTTPS access.

What to do next

You must remain aware of the expiration date of the certificate and take action before it expires. To preserve the same key pair for the renewed certificate, you must preserve the CSR, as it contains the public key that pairs with the private key in the key ring. Before the certificate expires, the same CSR must be resubmitted. Do not delete or create a new key ring, as deleting the key ring will delete the private key stored internally on the Cloud APIC.