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HP-UX AAA Server A.06.00 Getting Started Guide: HP-UX 11.0, 11i v1 > Chapter 1 Introduction to AAA Server

AAA Server Architecture

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The HP-UX AAA Server Architecture consists of three primary components:

  • Configuration files. By editing these flat text files, with either the Server Manager user interface or with a text editor, you can provide the information necessary for the server to perform authentication, authorization, and accounting requests for your system.

  • AATV plug-ins perform discrete actions; such as initiating an authentication request, replying to an authentication request, or logging an accounting record.

  • The software engine, which includes the Finite State Machine (FSM) and some associated routines. At server startup, the finite state machine reads instructions from a state table—by default the /etc/opt/aaa/radius.fsm text file. The state table outlines what AATV actions to call and what order to call them in.

When the server is initialized, it performs a few distinct operations. It loads and initializes the AATV plug-ins, so that actions can be executed when called by the finite state machine. It also reads the configuration files to initialize the data required for the actions to execute according to the application's requirements.

Configuration Files

The HP-UX AAA Server reads data from the following configuration files installed at /etc/opt/aaa/ by default:

Table 1-1 HP-UX AAA Server Configuration Files

FileDescription
clientsInformation about all RADIUS clients—name, address, shared secret, type, etc.—that allows the server to recognize and communicate with the clients.
authfileAuthentication type parameters for defined realms.
usersInformation about user IDs, passwords, and check/deny/reply items.
realm

The same information as the users file, but this user information is associated with a particular realm. These files are only necessary to perform File type authentication for a defined realm. Realms are recognized by the realm component of the user's Network Access Identifier, for example: user@realm.com.

NOTE: This is a user generated file, it does not ship with the product.
decision

Policy information for user authorization and session control based on any logical group that can be defined with A-V pairs.

NOTE: This is a user generated file, it does not ship with the product.
las.confDefines services for session control based on realms.
vendorsOptional entries for vendor-specific behavior.
dictionaryDefines all attributes and values that may be used to build attribute-value (A-V) pairs that will be recognizable by the server. These A-V pairs contain information about requests and responses. This file also contains definitions for all the authentication types that the server recognizes.
log.configSpecifies the predefined session log formats to use.

aaa.config

Calls engine.config.

iaaaAgent.conf

Specifies how often the AAA server's SNMP subagent will check to see if a master agent is active.

EAP.authfile

Used to configure EAP authentication for user profiles.

db_srv.opt

The configuration script for the db_srv environment variables.

engine.config

Called by aaa.conf, this file stores most of the AAA server properties.

 

You can find out more information about these files by referring to the HP-UX AAA Server Administration and Authentication Guide. Each configuration file also contains comments with examples.

AATV Plug-Ins

Define actions to perform functions, such as authenticating requests, authorizing, and logging. Built-in actions support authentication of users from information in different storage methods.

The Software Engine: Finite State Machine

In the Finite State Machine, a request will transition through a series of states, starting with a state that includes possible starting events. The first action specified to be called in response to an initial authentication request would return a value, an event that determines the next state to transition to. Within each state, the next action is triggered by an event (based on previous state and action and a value, typically ACK or NAK, returned by the previous action), which in turn directs the flow of the request to another state, until an End state is reached.

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