Configuring the Cisco TrustSec Solution

Revised: July 13, 2012

This chapter includes the following topics:

Configuration Overview

This guide documents elementary Cisco TrustSec configuration procedures for Cisco Catalyst switches and includes a TrustSec command reference.

For network-wide deployment configurations, see the section, “Cisco TrustSec Configuration How-to Documents.”

A network-wide deployment includes the configuration, interoperability, and management of multiple devices, which may include the Cisco Identity Services Engine (Cisco ISE), The Cisco Secure Access Control System (Cisco ACS), Cisco IP Telephones, Cisco routers, Cisco network appliances, etc.

White papers and presentations explaining the Cisco TrustSec Solution are at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns1051/index.html

Cisco TrustSec Configuration How-to Documents

A series of “How-to” configuration documents provides deployment guidelines and best practices for proven network architectures in complex scenarios:

Cisco TrustSec How-to Guide: ISE Profiling Design Guide includes the following topics:

  • Introduction
  • Cisco ISE Profiling Services
  • Profiling Service Requirements
  • Profiling Services Global Configuration
  • Configuring Probes
  • Device Sensor
  • Configuring Profiling Policies
  • Profiling Design and Best Practices

Supported Hardware and Software

For a list of TrustSec supported hardware and software per TrustSec release, see,
Release Notes for Cisco TrustSec General Availability Releases at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/switches/lan/trustsec/release/notes/rn_cts_crossplat.html

See also, the Release Notes, Configuration Guides, and Command References for your device.

Prerequisites for Cisco TrustSec

The following are the prerequisites for establishing a TrustSec network with Catalyst switches:

  • TrustSec software on all network devices
  • Connectivity between all network devices
  • Network availability of the Cisco Secure ACS 5.1, or Cisco ISE operating with a TrustSec license
  • Directory, DHCP, DNS, certificate authority, and NTP servers functioning in the network

Cisco TrustSec Guidelines and Limitations

Cisco TrustSec has the following guidelines and limitations for Catalyst switches:

  • AAA for Cisco TrustSec uses RADIUS and is supported only by the Cisco Secure Access Control System (ACS), version 5.1 or later.
  • You must enable the 802.1X feature globally for Cisco TrustSec to perform NDAC authentication. If you disable 802.1X globally, you will disable NDAC.
  • Cisco TrustSec is supported only on physical interfaces, not on logical interfaces.
  • Cisco TrustSec does not support IPv6 in the releases referenced in this guide.
  • If the default password is configured on a switch, the connection on that switch should configure the password to use the default password. If the default password is not configured on a switch, the connection on that switch should also not configure a password. The configuration of the password option should be consistent across the deployment network.
  • Configure the retry open timer command to a different value on different switches.
  • SXP conveys IP-SGT mapping to RBACL enforcing switches in the network. If the access layer switch is in a different NAT domain than the RBACL enforcing switch, then clearly the IP-SGT map it uploads will be meaningless because the IP address included in the map will belong to the wrong NAT domain. The RBACL enforcing switch will never see the source IP address enumerated in the map and therefore IP-SGT database lookup will yield nothing. This means it will not be possible to apply RBACL

Default Settings

Table 2-1 lists the default settings for Cisco TrustSec parameters.

 

Table 2-1 Default Cisco TrustSec Parameters

Parameters
Default

Cisco TrustSec

Disabled.

SXP

Disabled.

SXP default password

None.

SXP reconciliation period

120 seconds (2 minutes).

SXP retry period

60 seconds (1 minute).

Cisco TrustSec Caching

Disabled.

Additional Documentation

Release-Specific Documents

 

Release-Specific Document Title
TrustSec Topics

Release Notes for Cisco TrustSec General Availability Releases

  • Open and resolved caveats
  • Current hardware and software support

Platform-Specific Documents

 

Platform-Specific Document Title
TrustSec Topics

Catalyst 3000 Series Switches

Release Notes for Catalyst 3560 and 3750 Switches

Open and resolved caveats; supported features

Catalyst 3560 Software Configuration Guides

802.1x configuration procedures

Catalyst 3750-E and 3560-E Switch
Software Configuration Guide

Cisco Catalyst 3560-X Series Switches
Software Configuration Guides

Catalyst 3750 Metro Series Switches
Software Configuration Guides

Cisco Catalyst 3750-X Series Switches
Software Configuration Guides

Catalyst 4500 Series Switches

Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series Switches
Release Notes

Open and resolved caveats, supported features

Catalyst 4500 Series Switches
Software Configuration Guides

802.1x configuration procedures

Catalyst 6500 Series Switches

Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches
Release Notes

Open and resolved caveats, supported features

Catalyst 6500 Release 12.2SXH and Later Software Configuration Guide

802.1x configuration procedures

Catalyst 6500 Release 12.2SY
Software Configuration Guide

Catalyst 6500 Release 15.0SY
Software Configuration Guide

Nexus 7000 Series Switches

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches Release Notes

Open and resolved caveats

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches Configuration Guides

  • TrustSec feature configurations for Cisco Nexus 7000 series switches, Release 4.1 and later
  • 802.1X configuration procedures

Cisco Secure Access Control System and Cisco Identity Services Engine

Cisco Secure Access Control System Release Notes

Open and resolved caveats

Cisco Secure Access Control System End-User Guides

TrustSec configurations for Cisco ACS 5.1 and later

Cisco Identity Services Engine

TrustSec Configurations. TrustSec is referred to as SGA, or Security Group Access in ISE documentation.

Cisco IOS TrustSec Documentation Set

 

Cisco IOS Document Title

Cisco TrustSec Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 15SY

Cisco IOS Security Command Reference