Cisco Technology, Inc.

Thomas Alan Parker

Pok Wong

Joshua B Littlefield

Ranjan Prasad

David Bainbridge

An example embodiment of the present invention provides processes relating to the authentication, by an authentication server, of a supplicant/user for access to a network. In one particular implementation, an authentication server receives a request for access from a supplicant, which request is forwarded to the authentication server by an authenticator that controls a port to the network. The authentication server scores various authentication methods, based on configured preferences, currently cached credentials, and the availability of a networked credential store as measured by a link-state monitor. The authentication server then negotiates an agreed authentication method with the supplicant, using a preferred order resulting from the scores. The authentication server receives forwarded credentials for the agreed authentication method from the supplicant and instructs the authenticator to give the supplicant access to the port, if the authentication server can verify the credentials against a credential store or a credential cache.

Authentication server with link state monitor and credential cache

A method and apparatus for tracking an identity of a user associated with a network lease is disclosed. The IP lease is correlated to user information by storing a user ID with lease information in a manner in which the user information is associated with the lease information. In an embodiment, the user ID is a Global User ID (GUID). In an embodiment the user ID is unique to a specified domain. In an embodiment, the user ID is given to only one user and never changes.

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Boulder Creek, CA, United States of America

Thomas Alan Parker