About This User Guide

This section discusses the objectives, audience, and organization of the CiscoSecure ACS 2.4 for Windows NT Server User Guide.

Document Objectives

The objective of this document is to help you configure and use the CiscoSecure Access Control Server (CiscoSecure ACS) 2.4 software and its features and utilities.

Audience

This publication was written for system administrators who are using the CiscoSecure ACS software and are responsible for setting up and maintaining accounts and dial-in network security.

Document Organization and Conventions

Table 1: Document Organization

Chapter Title	Topics Covered

About This User Guide	The audience, organization, and conventions of this book
Overview of CiscoSecure ACS 2.4 for Windows NT Server	An overview of CiscoSecure ACS and its features, network diagrams, and system requirements
CiscoSecure ACS Architecture	An overview of the CiscoSecure ACS architecture
User Databases	How to configure CiscoSecure ACS for use with the various user databases
Sophisticated Handling of Unknown Users	How CiscoSecure ACS handles unknown users
Interface Design	How the web-based HTML interface is designed and functions
Distributed Systems	Information about CiscoSecure ACS distributed systems, including fallback on rejection, centralized and remote logging, and authentication forwarding
Database Information Management	Information about CiscoSecure ACS database replication and remote database management system (RDBMS) synchronization
Logging	Information about the logging and reporting features of CiscoSecure ACS
Step-by-Step Configuration for CiscoSecure ACS	Instructions for configuring CiscoSecure ACS using the HTML user interface (HTML interface)
Sample Configurations	Sample configurations for CiscoSecure ACS
Troubleshooting Information for CiscoSecure ACS	How to identify and solve any problems you might have with CiscoSecure ACS
System Messages	A list and explanation of system messages you might encounter
TACACS+ Attribute-Value Pairs	A list of supported TACACS+ AV pairs and accounting AV pairs
RADIUS Attribute-Value Pairs	A list of supported RADIUS AV pairs and accounting AV pairs
CiscoSecure ACS Command-Line Database Utility	Instructions for using the database import utility, CSUtil, to import an ODBC database, and back up, maintain, or restore the CiscoSecure ACS database
CiscoSecure ACS and Virtual Private Dial-up Networks	An introduction to Virtual Private Dial-up Networks (VPDN), including stripping and tunneling, with instructions for enabling VPDN on CiscoSecure ACS.

Table 2: Document Conventions

Convention	Description

boldface font	Commands and keywords.
italic font	Command input that is supplied by you.
[ ]	Keywords or arguments that appear within square brackets are optional.
{ x \| x \| x }	A choice of keywords (represented by x) appears in braces separated by vertical bars. You must select one.
^ or Ctrl	Represent the key labeled Control. For example, when you read ^D or Ctrl-D, you should hold down the Control key while you press the D key.
`screen` font	Examples of information displayed on the screen.
boldface screen font	Examples of information that you must enter.
< >	Nonprinting characters, such as passwords, appear in angled brackets.
[ ]	Default responses to system prompts appear in square brackets.
Note	Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to additional information and material.
Timesaver	This symbol means the described action saves time. You can save time by performing the action described in the paragraph.
Caution	This symbol means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

For More Information

You will need the documentation for your network access server (NAS). You might also want to consult Cisco Systems' Internetworking Terms and Acronyms publication.

Your CiscoSecure ACS also includes three quick reference cards to help you quickly install the software.

You should also read the README.TXT file and any release notes for additional important information.

Cisco Connection Online

Cisco Connection Online (CCO) is Cisco Systems' primary, real-time support channel. Maintenance customers and partners can self-register on CCO to obtain additional information and services.

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, CCO provides a wealth of standard and value-added services to Cisco's customers and business partners. CCO services include product information, product documentation, software updates, release notes, technical tips, the Bug Navigator, configuration notes, brochures, descriptions of service offerings, and download access to public and authorized files.

CCO serves a wide variety of users through two interfaces that are updated and enhanced simultaneously: a character-based version and a multimedia version that resides on the World Wide Web (WWW). The character-based CCO supports Zmodem, Kermit, Xmodem, FTP, and Internet e-mail, and it is excellent for quick access to information over lower bandwidths. The WWW version of CCO provides richly formatted documents with photographs, figures, graphics, and video, as well as hyperlinks to related information.

You can access CCO in the following ways:

WWW: http://www.cisco.com
WWW: http://www-europe.cisco.com
WWW: http://www-china.cisco.com
Telnet: cco.cisco.com
Modem: From North America, 408 526-8070; from Europe, 33 1 64 46 40 82. Use the following terminal settings: VT100 emulation; databits: 8; parity: none; stop bits: 1; and connection rates up to 28.8 kbps.

For a copy of CCO's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), contact cco-help@cisco.com. For additional information, contact cco-team@cisco.com.

Note If you are a network administrator and need personal technical assistance with a Cisco product that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract, contact Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC) at 800 553-2447, 408 526-7209, or tac@cisco.com. To obtain general information about Cisco Systems, Cisco products, or upgrades, contact 800 553-6387, 408 526-7208, or cs-rep@cisco.com.

Documentation CD-ROM

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM, a member of the Cisco Connection Family, is updated monthly. Therefore, it might be more current than printed documentation. To order additional copies of the Documentation CD-ROM, contact your local sales representative or call customer service. The CD-ROM package is available as a single package or as an annual subscription. You can also access Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at http://www.cisco.com, http://www-china.cisco.com, or http://www-europe.cisco.com.

If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit comments electronically. Click Feedback in the toolbar and select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco. We appreciate your comments.

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