- Preface
- New and Changed Information for this Release
- Overview
- Configuring Switch Profiles
- Configuring Module Pre-Provisioning
- Using Cisco Fabric Services
- Configuring User Accounts and RBAC
- Configuring Session Manager
- Configuring Online Diagnostics
- Configuring System Message Logging
- Configuring Smart Call Home
- Configuring Rollback
- Configuring DNS
- Configuring SNMP
- Configuring RMON
- Configuring SPAN
- Configuring NTP
- Index
Contents
- Configuring User Accounts and RBAC
- Information About User Accounts and RBAC
- User Roles
- Predefined SAN Admin User Role
- Rules
- SAN Admin Role-Feature Rule Mapping
- User Role Policies
- User Account Configuration Restrictions
- User Password Requirements
- Guidelines and Limitations for User Accounts
- Configuring User Accounts
- Configuring SAN Admin Users
- Configuring RBAC
- Creating User Roles and Rules
- Creating Feature Groups
- Changing User Role Interface Policies
- Changing User Role VLAN Policies
- Changing User Role VSAN Policies
- Verifying the User Accounts and RBAC Configuration
- Configuring User Accounts Default Settings for the User Accounts and RBAC
Configuring User Accounts and RBAC
This chapter contains the following sections:
- Information About User Accounts and RBAC
- Guidelines and Limitations for User Accounts
- Configuring User Accounts
- Configuring RBAC
- Verifying the User Accounts and RBAC Configuration
- Configuring User Accounts Default Settings for the User Accounts and RBAC
Information About User Accounts and RBAC
Cisco Nexus Series switches use role-based access control (RBAC) to define the amount of access that each user has when the user logs into the switch.
With RBAC, you define one or more user roles and then specify which management operations each user role is allowed to perform. When you create a user account for the switch, you associate that account with a user role, which then determines what the individual user is allowed to do on the switch.
User Roles
User roles contain rules that define the operations allowed for the user who is assigned the role. Each user role can contain multiple rules and each user can have multiple roles. For example, if role1 allows access only to configuration operations, and role2 allows access only to debug operations, users who belong to both role1 and role2 can access configuration and debug operations. You can also limit access to specific VSANs, VLANs, and interfaces.
The switch provides the following default user roles:
- network-admin (superuser)
Complete read and write access to the entire switch.
- network-operator
Complete read access to the switch.
 Note | If you belong to multiple roles, you can execute a combination of all the commands permitted by these roles. Access to a command takes priority over being denied access to a command. For example, suppose a user has RoleA, which denied access to the configuration commands. However, the user also has RoleB, which has access to the configuration commands. In this case, the user has access to the configuration commands. |
Predefined SAN Admin User Role
The SAN admin user role is a noneditable, predefined user role that is designed to provide separation between LAN and SAN administrative tasks. Users that have been assigned the SAN admin user role have read-only access to all Ethernet configuration tasks. Write access for Ethernet features is not granted to SAN admin users unless it is assigned to them through another user role.
The following capabilities are permitted to SAN admin users:
Interface configuration
Attribute configuration for Fibre Channel Unified Ports, except creation and deletion
VSAN configuration, including database and membership
Mapping of preconfigured VLANs for FCoE to VSANs
Zoning configuration
Configuration of SNMP-related parameters, except SNMP community and SNMP users
Read-only access to all other configurations
Configuration and management of SAN features such as the following:
Configuration and management for the following of EXEC mode commands:
Note | The SAN Admin role permits configuration on all interface types, not just Fibre Channel interfaces. The predefined SAN Admin user role was designed to allow access to all interfaces—including Ethernet interfaces—so it would not interfere with SNMP operations. |
Rules
The rule is the basic element of a role. A rule defines what operations the role allows the user to perform. You can apply rules for the following parameters:
- Command
A command or group of commands defined in a regular expression.
- Feature
Commands that apply to a function provided by the Cisco Nexus device. Enter the show role feature command to display the feature names available for this parameter.
- Feature group
Default or user-defined group of features. Enter the show role feature-group command to display the default feature groups available for this parameter.
These parameters create a hierarchical relationship. The most basic control parameter is the command. The next control parameter is the feature, which represents all commands associated with the feature. The last control parameter is the feature group. The feature group combines related features and allows you to easily manage the rules.
You can configure up to 256 rules for each role. The user-specified rule number determines the order in which the rules are applied. Rules are applied in descending order. For example, if a role has three rules, rule 3 is applied before rule 2, which is applied before rule 1.
SAN Admin Role-Feature Rule Mapping
The SAN admin role is not editable. The following role-features are part of preconfigured role. The preconfigured role comes complete read access and the following rules:
Feature |
Permissions |
|---|---|
copy |
Read and write permissions for copy-related commands |
fabric-binding |
Read and write permissions for fabric binding-related commands |
fcdomain |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel domain-related commands |
fcfe |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel FE-related commands |
fcmgmt |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel management-related commands |
fcns |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel-related service FCNS commands |
fcoe |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel over Ethernet-related commands |
fcsp |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel Security Protocol (FCSP)-related commands |
fdmi |
Read and write permissions for Fabric Device Management Interface (FDMI)-related commands |
fspf |
Read and write permissions for Fabric Shortest Path First (FSPF)-related commands |
interface |
Read and write permissions for interface-related commands, which includes all interfaces, not just Fibre Channel interfaces. |
port-track |
Read and write permissions for port track-related commands |
port-security |
Read and write permissions for port security-related commands |
rdl |
Read and write permissions for Remote Domain Loopback (RDL)-related commands |
rmon |
Read and write permissions for RMON-related commands |
rscn |
Read and write permissions for Registered State Change Notification (RSCN)-related commands |
snmp |
Read and write permissions for SNMP-related commands |
snmpTargetAddrEntry |
Read and write permissions for SNMP trap target-related commands |
snmpTargetParamsEntry |
Read and write permissions for SNMP trap target parameter-related commands |
span |
Read and write permissions for SPAN-related commands |
trapRegEntry |
Read and write permissions for SNMP trap registry-related commands |
trunk |
Read and write permissions for Fibre Channel port channel trunk-related commands |
vsan |
Read and write permissions for VSAN-related commands |
vsanIfvsan |
Read and write permissions for FCoE VLAN-VSAN mapping command-related commands |
wwnm |
Read and write permissions for World Wide Name (WWN)-related commands |
zone |
Read and write permissions for zoning commands |
User Role Policies
You can define user role policies to limit the switch resources that the user can access, or to limit access to interfaces, VLANs, and VSANs.
User role policies are constrained by the rules defined for the role. For example, if you define an interface policy to permit access to specific interfaces, the user does not have access to the interfaces unless you configure a command rule for the role to permit the interface command.
If a command rule permits access to specific resources (interfaces, VLANs, or VSANs), the user is permitted to access these resources, even if the user is not listed in the user role policies associated with that user.
User Account Configuration Restrictions
The following words are reserved and cannot be used to configure users:
adm
bin
daemon
ftp
ftpuser
games
gdm
gopher
halt
lp
mail
mailnull
man
mtsuser
news
nobody
san-admin
shutdown
sync
sys
uucp
xfs
 Caution | The Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch does not support all numeric usernames, even if those usernames were created in TACACS+ or RADIUS. If an all numeric username exists on an AAA server and is entered during login, the switch rejects the login request. |
User Password Requirements
Cisco Nexus device passwords are case sensitive and can contain alphanumeric characters only. Special characters, such as the dollar sign ($) or the percent sign (%), are not allowed.
If a password is trivial (such as a short, easy-to-decipher password), the Cisco Nexus device rejects the password. Be sure to configure a strong password for each user account. A strong password has the following characteristics:
-
At least eight characters long
-
Does not contain many consecutive characters (such as "abcd")
-
Does not contain many repeating characters (such as "aaabbb")
-
Does not contain dictionary words
-
Does not contain proper names
-
Contains both uppercase and lowercase characters
-
Contains numbers
The following are examples of strong passwords:
Note | For security reasons, user passwords do not display in the configuration files. |
Guidelines and Limitations for User Accounts
User accounts have the following guidelines and limitations when configuring user accounts and RBAC:
-
Up to 256 rules can be added to a user role.
-
A maximum of 64 user roles can be assigned to a user account.
You can assign a user role to more that one user account.
Predefined roles such as network-admin, network-operator, and san-admin are not editable.
Add, delete, and editing of rules is not supported for the SAN admin user role.
The interface, VLAN, and/or VSAN scope cannot be changed for the SAN admin user role.
Note | A user account must have at least one user role. |
Configuring User Accounts
Note | Changes to user account attributes do not take effect until the user logs in and creates a new session. |
1. switch# configure terminal
2. (Optional) switch(config)# show role
3. switch(config) # username user-id [password password] [expire date] [role role-name]
4. switch(config) # exit
5. (Optional) switch# show user-account
6.
(Optional)
switch#
copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
The following example shows how to configure a user account:
switch# configure terminal switch(config)# username NewUser password 4Ty18Rnt switch(config)# exit switch# show user-account
Configuring SAN Admin Users
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config) # username user-id role san-admin password password
3. (Optional) switch(config) # show user-account
4. (Optional) switch(config) # show snmp-user
5. (Optional) switch(config)# copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config) # username user-id role san-admin password password |
Configures SAN admin user role access for the specified user. |
| Step 3 | switch(config) # show user-account | (Optional) Displays the role configuration. |
| Step 4 | switch(config) # show snmp-user | (Optional) Displays the SNMP user configuration. |
| Step 5 | switch(config)# copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Saves the change persistently through reboots and restarts by copying the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
The following example shows how to configure a SAN admin user and display the user account and SNMP user configuration:
switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# username user1 role san-admin password xyz123
switch(config)# show user-account
user:admin
this user account has no expiry date
roles:network-admin
user:user1
this user account has no expiry date
roles:san-admin
switch(config) # show snmp user
________________________________________________________________________
SNMP USERS
________________________________________________________________________
User Auth Priv(enforce) Groups
____ ____ _____________ ______
admin md5 des(no) network-admin
user1 md5 des(no) san-admin
________________________________________________________________________
NOTIFICATION TARGET USES (configured for sending V3 Inform)
________________________________________________________________________
User Auth Priv
____ ____ ____
switch(config) #
Configuring RBAC
Creating User Roles and Rules
The rule number that you specify determines the order in which the rules are applied. Rules are applied in descending order. For example, if a role has three rules, rule 3 is applied before rule 2, which is applied before rule 1.
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config) # role name role-name
3. switch(config-role) # rule number {deny | permit} command command-string
4. switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write}
5. switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write} feature feature-name
6. switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write} feature-group group-name
7. (Optional) switch(config-role)# description text
8. switch(config-role)# end
9. (Optional) switch# show role
10. (Optional) switch# copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config) # role name role-name |
Specifies a user role and enters role configuration mode. The role-name argument is a case-sensitive, alphanumeric character string with a maximum of 16 characters. |
| Step 3 | switch(config-role) # rule number {deny | permit} command command-string |
Configures a command rule. The command-string can contain spaces and regular expressions. For example, interface ethernet * includes all Ethernet interfaces. Repeat this command for as many rules as needed. |
| Step 4 | switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write} |
Configures a read-only or read-and-write rule for all operations. |
| Step 5 | switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write} feature feature-name |
Configures a read-only or read-and-write rule for a feature. Use the show role feature command to display a list of features. Repeat this command for as many rules as needed. |
| Step 6 | switch(config-role)# rule number {deny | permit} {read | read-write} feature-group group-name |
Configures a read-only or read-and-write rule for a feature group. Use the show role feature-group command to display a list of feature groups. Repeat this command for as many rules as needed. |
| Step 7 | switch(config-role)# description text | (Optional)
Configures the role description. You can include spaces in the description. |
| Step 8 | switch(config-role)# end | Exits role configuration mode. |
| Step 9 | switch# show role | (Optional)
Displays the user role configuration. |
| Step 10 | switch# copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Saves the change persistently through reboots and restarts by copying the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
This example shows how to create user roles and specify rules:
switch# configure terminal switch(config)# role name UserA switch(config-role)# rule deny command clear users switch(config-role)# rule deny read-write switch(config-role)# description This role does not allow users to use clear commands switch(config-role)# end switch(config)# show role
Creating Feature Groups
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config) # role feature-group group-name
3. switch(config) # exit
4. (Optional) switch# show role feature-group
5. (Optional) switch# copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config) # role feature-group group-name |
Specifies a user role feature group and enters role feature group configuration mode. The group-name is a case-sensitive, alphanumeric character string with a maximum of 32 characters. |
| Step 3 | switch(config) # exit | Exits global configuration mode. |
| Step 4 | switch# show role feature-group | (Optional)
Displays the role feature group configuration. |
| Step 5 | switch# copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Saves the change persistently through reboots and restarts by copying the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
This example shows how to create a feature group:
switch# configure terminal switch(config) # role feature-group group1 switch(config) # exit switch# show role feature-group switch# copy running-config startup-config switch#
Changing User Role Interface Policies
You can change a user role interface policy to limit the interfaces that the user can access. Specify a list of interfaces that the role can access. You can specify it for as many interfaces as needed.
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config) # role name role-name
3. switch(config-role) # interface policy deny
4. switch(config-role-interface) # permit interface interface-list
5. switch(config-role-interface) # exit
6. (Optional) switch(config-role) # show role
7. (Optional) switch(config-role) # copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config) # role name role-name |
Specifies a user role and enters role configuration mode. |
| Step 3 | switch(config-role) # interface policy deny |
Enters role interface policy configuration mode. |
| Step 4 | switch(config-role-interface) # permit interface interface-list |
Specifies a list of interfaces that the role can access. Repeat this command for as many interfaces as needed. For this command, you can specify Ethernet interfaces, Fibre Channel interfaces, and virtual Fibre Channel interfaces. |
| Step 5 | switch(config-role-interface) # exit |
Exits role interface policy configuration mode. |
| Step 6 | switch(config-role) # show role | (Optional)
Displays the role configuration. |
| Step 7 | switch(config-role) # copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Copies the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
The following example shows how to change a user role interface policy to limit the interfaces that the user can access:
switch# configure terminal switch(config)# role name UserB switch(config-role)# interface policy deny switch(config-role-interface)# permit interface ethernet 2/1 switch(config-role-interface)# permit interface fc 3/1 switch(config-role-interface)# permit interface vfc 30/1
Changing User Role VLAN Policies
You can change a user role VLAN policy to limit the VLANs that the user can access.
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config) # role name role-name
3. switch(config-role )# vlan policy deny
4. switch(config-role-vlan # permit vlan vlan-list
5. switch(config-role-vlan) # exit
6.
(Optional)
switch#
show role
7. (Optional) switch# copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config) # role name role-name |
Specifies a user role and enters role configuration mode. |
| Step 3 | switch(config-role )# vlan policy deny |
Enters role VLAN policy configuration mode. |
| Step 4 | switch(config-role-vlan # permit vlan vlan-list |
Specifies a range of VLANs that the role can access. Repeat this command for as many VLANs as needed. |
| Step 5 | switch(config-role-vlan) # exit | Exits role VLAN policy configuration mode. |
| Step 6 |
switch#
show role
| (Optional)
Displays the role configuration. |
| Step 7 | switch# copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Saves the change persistently through reboots and restarts by copying the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
Changing User Role VSAN Policies
You can change a user role VSAN policy to limit the VSANs that the user can access.
1. switch# configure terminal
2. switch(config-role) # role name role-name
3. switch(config-role) # vsan policy deny
4. switch(config-role-vsan) # permit vsan vsan-list
5. switch(config-role-vsan) # exit
6. (Optional) switch# show role
7. (Optional) switch# copy running-config startup-config
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | switch# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
| Step 2 | switch(config-role) # role name role-name |
Specifies a user role and enters role configuration mode. |
| Step 3 | switch(config-role) # vsan policy deny |
Enters role VSAN policy configuration mode. |
| Step 4 | switch(config-role-vsan) # permit vsan vsan-list |
Specifies a range of VSANs that the role can access. Repeat this command for as many VSANs as needed. |
| Step 5 | switch(config-role-vsan) # exit | Exits role VSAN policy configuration mode. |
| Step 6 | switch# show role | (Optional)
Displays the role configuration. |
| Step 7 | switch# copy running-config startup-config | (Optional)
Saves the change persistently through reboots and restarts by copying the running configuration to the startup configuration. |
Verifying the User Accounts and RBAC Configuration
Use one of the following commands to verify the configuration:
|
Command |
Purpose |
|---|---|
| show role [role-name] |
Displays the user role configuration |
| show role feature |
Displays the feature list. |
| show role feature-group |
Displays the feature group configuration. |
| show startup-config security |
Displays the user account configuration in the startup configuration. |
| show running-config security [all] |
Displays the user account configuration in the running configuration. The all keyword displays the default values for the user accounts. |
| show user-account |
Displays user account information. |
Configuring User Accounts Default Settings for the User Accounts and RBAC
The following table lists the default settings for user accounts and RBAC parameters.
|
Parameters |
Default |
|---|---|
|
User account password |
Undefined. |
|
User account expiry date |
None. |
|
Interface policy |
All interfaces are accessible. |
|
VLAN policy |
All VLANs are accessible. |
|
VFC policy |
All VFCs are accessible. |
|
VETH policy |
All VETHs are accessible. |