Aruba ClearPass Centralized RADIUS Authentication & Authorization for 10,000 Users Enterprise
Deployed Aruba ClearPass as a central RADIUS system to control network login and access for approximately 10,000 users across the enterprise.
Overview
This project set up Aruba ClearPass as the single place to check who can join the network and what they can access. It covers both wired and wireless users, with approximately 10,000 accounts, and links to the organization's existing user directory.
The challenge
With approximately 10,000 users, managing network access one device at a time was slow and hard to control. Login rules were not the same everywhere, and it was difficult to give different groups the right level of access. The organization needed one central system that was secure, reliable, and able to handle a large number of logins at the same time.
The approach
We deployed ClearPass servers in a cluster for high availability, so login service keeps running if one server fails. ClearPass was connected to Active Directory, so users log in with their normal accounts. We set up 802.1X authentication for wired and wireless, then created role based policies that give each user group, such as staff, IT, and guests, the right VLAN and access rights. All switches and wireless devices were set to use ClearPass as their RADIUS server. We tested each policy before rolling it out to all users.
Results
- One central system for network login across the enterprise - Approximately 10,000 users authenticated with their existing accounts - Access rights based on user role, improving security - High availability with no single point of failure - Easier to manage, audit, and add new users or devices