Implementing NAP and NAC Security Technologies: The Complete Guide to Network Access Control

Chapter 7. Understanding Cisco Network Admission Control Framework

Chapter 6 discussed Cisco's Clean Access NAC solution. In addition to that solution, Cisco offers its Network Admission Control (NAC) Framework option. When many people I've spoken with think about Cisco, they initially think of this Framework solution. This is also where they get the erroneous idea that they must be a Cisco shop to use a Cisco NAC solution. With Cisco's NAC Framework, a Cisco-network does come into play, though that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing.

This chapter lays out Cisco's NAC Framework solution. As with Chapter 6, this chapter will be as objective as possible, and I will do my best to stick to the facts. This chapter discusses Cisco NAC Framework by doing the following:

• Discussing deployment scenarios and topologies

• Directly comparing Cisco Clean Access to the "Technical Components of NAC Solutions" defined in Chapter 2

• Providing an analysis of the purpose of the solution and comparing that analysis against what is being communicated by the vendor and what is being understood in the marketplace

This chapter does not cover the exact procedures for configuring and setting up the Cisco NAC Framework. Cisco created its own documentation on how to do this. This chapter is focused on providing an understanding of the solution, its components, and its purpose.

The elements of the solution under discussion will be related to the various types of users who would be accessing the network, ...