What Is Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS)?
Let's face it: if you're going to be a UNIX server, you need to be secure. That means access control systems. You can't just let anyone in, you know? TACACS is the way to do it. The Terminal Access Controller Access Control System (TACACS) is an authentication protocol for remote communication with any server housed in a UNIX network. TACACS provides an easy method of determining user network access via remote authentication server communication. The TACACS protocol uses port 49 by default. TACACS is a protocol designed by Cisco to manage user authentication and authorization. It's been around for ages, and it has many fans. The acronym stands for Terminal Access Controller Access Control System, and that's what it does: it controls access to terminals. Cisco developed the protocol in the 1980s, so you can imagine they have a vested interest in keeping it alive. The TACACS protocol is the ultimate way to get things done. It's a simple, effective way to ensure that your authentication servers are working in tip-top shape, and it's also very good at taking orders from remote systems. TACACS (Terminal Access Controller Access Control System) has a simple working mechanism: it accepts a user query from a remote server. It forwards it for necessary action to the authentication server. The authentication server may allow or deny a user query on the host's behalf. The host is a system or platform that runs on the server. The query result is sent to the query initiator as a feedback response. When you're connecting to your favorite dial-up internet service, you've got to be able to get in. That's where the routing node comes in. The routing node is the part of your computer that ensures your login request gets through. If your login request is denied, then you're not going anywhere. If it's approved? Then you're good to go!
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