Role-Based CLI Access


First Published: March 1, 2004
Last Updated: July 31, 2009

The Role-Based CLI Access feature allows the network administrator to define "views," which are a set of operational commands and configuration capabilities that provide selective or partial access to EXEC and configuration (Config) mode commands. Views restrict user access to command-line interface (CLI) and configuration information; that is, a view can define what commands are accepted and what configuration information is visible. Thus, network administrators can exercise better control over access to networking devices.

Finding Feature Information

For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the "Feature Information for Role-Based CLI Access" section.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco IOS XE software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Contents

Prerequisites for Role-Based CLI Access

Restrictions for Role-Based CLI Access

Information About Role-Based CLI Access

How to Use Role-Based CLI Access

Configuration Examples for Role-Based CLI Access

Additional References

Feature Information for Role-Based CLI Access

Prerequisites for Role-Based CLI Access

Your image must support CLI views.

Restrictions for Role-Based CLI Access

Lawful Intercept Images Limitation

Because CLI views are a part of the Cisco IOS XE parser, CLI views are a part of all platforms and Cisco IOS XE images. However, the lawful intercept view is available only in images that contain the lawful intercept subsystem.

Maximum Number of Allowed Views

The maximum number of CLI views and superviews, including one lawful intercept view, that can be configured is 15. (This does not include the root view.)

Information About Role-Based CLI Access

To create and use views, you should understand the following concepts:

Benefits of Using CLI Views

Root View

View Authentication via a New AAA Attribute

Benefits of Using CLI Views

Views: Detailed Access Control

Although users can control CLI access via both privilege levels and enable mode passwords, these functions do not provide network administrators with the necessary level of detail needed when working with Cisco IOS XE routers. CLI views provide a more detailed access control capability for network administrators, thereby, improving the overall security and accountability of Cisco IOS XE software.

Network administrators can also specify an interface or a group of interfaces to a view; thereby, allowing access on the basis of specified interfaces.

Root View

When a system is in "root view," it has all of the access privileges as a user who has level 15 privileges. If the administrator wishes to configure any view to the system (such as a CLI view, a superview, or a lawful intercept view), the system must be in root view.

The difference between a user who has level 15 privileges and a root view user is that a root view user can configure a new view and add or remove commands from the view. Also, when you are in a CLI view, you have access only to the commands that have been added to that view by the root view user.

View Authentication via a New AAA Attribute

View authentication is performed by an external authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server via the new attribute "cli-view-name."

AAA authentication associates only one view name to a particular user; that is, only one view name can be configured for a user in an authentication server.

How to Use Role-Based CLI Access

This section contains the following procedures:

Configuring a CLI View (Required)

Configuring a Lawful Intercept View (Optional)

Configuring a Superview (Optional)

Monitoring Views and View Users (Optional)

Configuring a CLI View

Use this task to create a CLI view and add commands or interfaces to the view, as appropriate.

Prerequisites

Before you create a view, you must perform the following tasks:

Enable AAA via the aaa new-model command.

Ensure that your system is in root view—not privilege level 15.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable view

2. configure terminal

3. parser view view-name

4. secret 5 encrypted-password

5. commands parser-mode {include | include-exclusive | exclude} [all] [interface interface-name | command]

6. exit

7. exit

8. enable [privilege-level] [view view-name]

9. show parser view [all]

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable view

Example:

Router> enable view

Enables root view.

Enter your privilege level 15 password (for example, root password) if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

parser view view-name

Example:

Router(config)# parser view first

Creates a view and enters view configuration mode.

Step 4 

secret 5 encrypted-password

Example:

Router(config-view)# secret 5 secret

Associates a command-line interface (CLI) view or superview with a password.

Note You must issue this command before you can configure additional attributes for the view.

Step 5 

commands parser-mode {include | include-exclusive | exclude} [all] [interface interface-name | command]

Example:

Router(config-view)# commands exec include show version

Adds commands or interfaces to a view.

parser-mode—The mode in which the specified command exists.

include—Adds a command or an interface to the view and allows the same command or interface to be added to an additional view.

include-exclusive—Adds a command or an interface to the view and excludes the same command or interface from being added to all other views.

exclude—Excludes a command or an interface from the view; that is, customers cannot access a command or an interface.

all—A "wildcard" that allows every command in a specified configuration mode that begins with the same keyword or every subinterface for a specified interface to be part of the view.

interface interface-name Interface that is added to the view.

command—Command that is added to the view.

Step 6 

exit

Example:

Router(config-view)# exit

Exits view configuration mode.

Step 7 

exit

Example:

Router(config)# exit

Exits global configuration mode.

Step 8 

enable [privilege-level] [view view-name]

Example:

Router# enable view first

Prompts the user for a password, which allows the user to access a configured CLI view, and is used to switch from one view to another view.

After the correct password is given, the user can access the view.

Step 9 

show parser view [all]

Example:

Router# show parser view

(Optional) Displays information about the view that the user is currently in.

all—Displays information for all views that are configured on the router.

Note Although this command is available for both root and lawful intercept users, the all keyword is available only to root users. However, the all keyword can be configured by a user in root view to be available for users in lawful intercept view and CLI view.

Troubleshooting Tips

After you have successfully created a view, a system message such as the following will be displayed:

%PARSER-6-VIEW_CREATED: view `first' successfully created.

After you have successfully deleted a view, a system message such as the following will be displayed:

%PARSER-6-VIEW_DELETED: view `first' successfully deleted.


You must associate a password with a view. If you do not associate a password, and you attempt to add commands to the view via the commands command, a system message such as the following will be displayed:

%Password not set for view <viewname>.

Configuring a Lawful Intercept View

Use this task to initialize and configure a view for lawful-intercept-specific commands and configuration information. (Only an administrator or a user who has level 15 privileges can initialize a lawful intercept view.)

About Lawful Intercept Views

Like a CLI view, a lawful intercept view restricts access to specified commands and configuration information. Specifically, a lawful intercept view allows a user to secure access to lawful intercept commands that are held within the TAP-MIB, which is a special set of simple network management protocol (SNMP) commands that store information about calls and users.

Commands available in lawful intercept view belong to one of the following categories:

Lawful intercept commands that should not be made available to any other view or privilege level

CLI views that are useful for lawful intercept users but do not have to be excluded from other views or privilege levels

Prerequisites

Before you initialize a lawful intercept view, ensure that the privilege level is set to 15 via the privilege command.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable view

2. configure terminal

3. li-view li-password user username password password

4. username [lawful-intercept] name [privilege privilege-level | view view-name] password password

5. parser view view-name

6. secret 5 encrypted-password

7. name new-name

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable view

Example:

Router> enable view

Enables root view.

Enter your privilege level 15 password (for example, root password) if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

li-view li-password user username password password

Example:

Router(config)# li-view lipass user li_admin password li_adminpass

Initializes a lawful intercept view.

After the li-view is initialized, you must specify at least one user via user username password password options.

Step 4 

username [lawful-intercept [name] [privilege privilege-level | view view-name] password password

Example:

Router(config)# username lawful-intercept li-user1 password li-user1pass

Configures lawful intercept users on a Cisco device.

Step 5 

parser view view-name

Example:

Router(config)# parser view li view name

(Optional) Enters view configuration mode, which allows you to change the lawful intercept view password or the lawful intercept view name.

Step 6 

secret 5 encrypted-password

Example:

Router(config-view)# secret 5 secret

(Optional) Changes an existing password for a lawful intercept view.

Step 7 

name new-name

Example:

Router(config-view)# name second

(Optional) Changes the name of a lawful intercept view.

If this command is not issued, the default name of the lawful intercept view is "li-view."

Troubleshooting Tips

To display information for all users who have access to a lawful intercept view, issue the show users lawful-intercept command. (This command is available only to authorized lawful intercept view users.)

Configuring a Superview

Use this task to create a superview and add at least one CLI view to the superview.

About Superviews

A superview consists of one or more CLI views, which allow users to define what commands are accepted and what configuration information is visible. Superviews allow a network administrator to easily assign all users within configured CLI views to a superview instead of having to assign multiple CLI views to a group of users.

Superviews contain the following characteristics:

A CLI view can be shared among multiple superviews.

Commands cannot be configured for a superview; that is, you must add commands to the CLI view and add that CLI view to the superview.

Users who are logged into a superview can access all of the commands that are configured for any of the CLI views that are part of the superview.

Each superview has a password that is used to switch between superviews or from a CLI view to a superview.

If a superview is deleted, all CLI views associated with that superview will not be deleted too.

Adding CLI Views to a Superview

You can add a view to a superview only after a password has been configured for the superview (via the secret 5 command). Thereafter, issue the view command in view configuration mode to add at least one CLI view to the superview.


Note Before adding a CLI view to a superview, ensure that the CLI views that are added to the superview are valid views in the system; that is, the views have been successfully created via the parser view command.


SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable view

2. configure terminal

3. parser view superview-name superview

4. secret 5 encrypted-password

5. view view-name

6. exit

7. exit

8. show parser view [all]

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable view

Example:

Router> enable view

Enables root view.

Enter your privilege level 15 password (for example, root password) if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

parser view superview-name superview

Example:

Router(config)# parser view su_view1 superview

Creates a superview and enters view configuration mode.

Step 4 

secret 5 encrypted-password

Example:

Router(config-view)# secret 5 secret

Associates a CLI view or superview with a password.

Note You must issue this command before you can configure additional attributes for the view.

Step 5 

view view-name

Example:

Router(config-view)# view view_three

Adds a normal CLI view to a superview.

Issue this command for each CLI view that is to be added to a given superview.

Step 6 

exit

Example:

Router(config-view)# exit

Exits view configuration mode.

Step 7 

exit

Example:

Router(config)# exit

Exits global configuration mode.

Step 8 

show parser view [all]

Example:

Router# show parser view

(Optional) Displays information about the view that the user is currently in.

all—Displays information for all views that are configured on the router.

Note Although this command is available for both root and lawful intercept users, the all keyword is available only to root users. However, the all keyword can be configured by a user in root view to be available for users in lawful intercept view and CLI view.

Monitoring Views and View Users

To display debug messages for all views—root, CLI, lawful intercept, and super, use the debug parser view command in privileged EXEC mode.

Configuration Examples for Role-Based CLI Access

This section contains the following configuration examples:

Configuring a CLI View: Example

Verifying a CLI View: Example

Configuring a Lawful Intercept View: Example

Configuring a Superview: Example

Configuring a CLI View: Example

The following example shows how to configure two CLI views, "first" and "second." Thereafter, you can verify the CLI view in the running configuration.

Router(config)# parser view first
00:11:40:%PARSER-6-VIEW_CREATED:view 'first' successfully created. 
Router(config-view)# secret 5 firstpass
Router(config-view)# command exec include show version
Router(config-view)# command exec include configure terminal
Router(config-view)# command exec include all show ip
Router(config-view)# exit
Router(config)# parser view second
00:13:42:%PARSER-6-VIEW_CREATED:view 'second' successfully created.
Router(config-view)# secret 5 secondpass
Router(config-view)# command exec include-exclusive show ip interface
Router(config-view)# command exec include logout
Router(config-view)# exit
!
!
Router(config-view)# do show run | beg view
parser view first
 secret 5 $1$MCmh$QuZaU8PIMPlff9sFCZvgW/
 commands exec include configure terminal
 commands exec include configure
 commands exec include all show ip
 commands exec include show version
 commands exec include show
!
parser view second
 secret 5 $1$iP2M$R16BXKecMEiQesxLyqygW.
 commands exec include-exclusive show ip interface
 commands exec include show ip
 commands exec include show
 commands exec include logout
!

Verifying a CLI View: Example

After you have configured the CLI views "first" and "second," you can issue the enable view command to verify which commands are available in each view. The following example shows which commands are available inside the CLI view "first" after the user has logged into this view. (Because the show ip command is configured with the all option, a complete set of suboptions is shown, except the show ip interface command, which is using the include-exclusive keyword in the second view.)

Router# enable view first
Password:

00:28:23:%PARSER-6-VIEW_SWITCH:successfully set to view 'first'.
Router# ?
Exec commands:
  configure  Enter configuration mode
  enable     Turn on privileged commands
  exit       Exit from the EXEC
  show       Show running system information

Router# show ?

  ip       IP information
  parser   Display parser information
  version  System hardware and software status

Router# show ip ? 

  access-lists            List IP access lists
  accounting              The active IP accounting database
  aliases                 IP alias table
  arp                     IP ARP table
  as-path-access-list     List AS path access lists
  bgp                     BGP information
  cache                   IP fast-switching route cache
  casa                    display casa information
  cef                     Cisco Express Forwarding
  community-list          List community-list
  dfp                     DFP information
  dhcp                    Show items in the DHCP database
  drp                     Director response protocol
  dvmrp                   DVMRP information
  eigrp                   IP-EIGRP show commands
  extcommunity-list       List extended-community list
  flow                    NetFlow switching
  helper-address          helper-address table
  http                    HTTP information
  igmp                    IGMP information
  irdp                    ICMP Router Discovery Protocol
.
.
.

Configuring a Lawful Intercept View: Example

The following example shows how to configure a lawful intercept view, add users to the view, and verify the users that were added:

!Initialize the LI-View.
Router(config-view)# li-view lipass user li_admin password li_adminpass
00:19:25:%PARSER-6-LI_VIEW_INIT:LI-View initialized.
Router(config-view)# end

! Enter the LI-View; that is, check to see what commands are available within the view.
Router# enable view li-view
Password:

Router#
00:22:57:%PARSER-6-VIEW_SWITCH:successfully set to view 'li-view'.
Router# configure terminal
Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.
Router(config)# parser view li-view 
Router(config-view)# ?
View commands:
  commands  Configure commands for a view
  default   Set a command to its defaults
  exit      Exit from view configuration mode
  name      New LI-View name      ===This option only resides in LI View.
  no        Negate a command or set its defaults
  password  Set a password associated with CLI views

Router(config-view)#

! NOTE:LI View configurations are never shown as part of `running-configuration'.

! Configure LI Users.
Router(config)# username lawful-intercept li-user1 password li-user1pass 
Router(config)# username lawful-intercept li-user2 password li-user2pass

! Displaying LI User information.
Router# show users lawful-intercept

li_admin     
li-user1     
li-user2     
Router#

Configuring a Superview: Example

The following sample output from the show running-config command shows that "view_one" and "view_two" have been added to superview "su_view1," and "view_three" and "view_four" have been added to superview "su_view2":

!
parser view su_view1 superview
 secret 5 <encoded password>
 view view_one
 view view_two
!
parser view su_view2 superview
 secret 5 <encoded password>
 view view_three
 view view_four
!

Additional References

The following sections provide references related to Role-Based CLI Access.

Related Documents

Related Topic
Document Title

Security commands: complete command syntax, command modes, command history, defaults, usage guidelines, and examples

Cisco IOS Security Command Reference

SNMP, MIBs, CLI configuration

"Configuring SNMP Support"


Standards

Standards
Title

No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature.


MIBs

MIBs
MIBs Link

No new or modified MIBs are supported by this feature, and support for existing MIBs has not been modified by this feature.

To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS XE releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs


RFCs

RFCs
Title

No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature.


Technical Assistance

Description
Link

The Cisco Support website provides extensive online resources, including documentation and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies.

To receive security and technical information about your products, you can subscribe to various services, such as the Product Alert Tool (accessed from Field Notices), the Cisco Technical Services Newsletter, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds.

Access to most tools on the Cisco Support website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport


Feature Information for Role-Based CLI Access

Table 1 lists the release history for this feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and software image support. Cisco Feature Navigator enables you to determine which Cisco IOS XE software images support a specific software release, feature set, or platform. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.


Note Table 1 lists only the Cisco IOS XE software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given Cisco IOS XE software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that Cisco IOS XE software release train also support that feature.


Table 1 Feature Information for Role-Based CLI Access 

Feature Name
Releases
Feature Information

Role-Based CLI Access

Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1

This feature enables network administrators to restrict user access to CLI and configuration information.

In Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1, this feature was introduced on Cisco ASR 1000 Series Service Aggregation Routers.

The following commands were new or modified by this feature: commands (view), enable, li-view, name (view), parser view, parser view superview, secret, show parser view, show users, username, view.