> # Information About Cisco DCNM-SAN Authentication

> Cisco DCNM-SAN contains multiple components that interact to manage a fabric.

> These components include:

> - Cisco DCNM-SAN Client
> - Cisco DCNM-SAN Server
> - Performance Manager
> - Interconnected fabric of Cisco MDS 9000 switches and storage devices
> - AAA server (optional)

> Administrators launch Cisco DCNM-SAN Client and select the seed switch that is used to discover the fabric. The user name and password used are passed to Cisco DCNM-SAN Server and used to authenticate to the seed switch. If this user name and password are not a recognized SNMP user name and password, either Cisco DCNM-SAN Client or Cisco DCNM-SAN Server opens a CLI session to the switch (SSH or Telnet) and retries the user name and password pair. If the user name and password are recognized by the switch in either the local switch authentication database or through a remote AAA server, then the switch creates a temporary SNMP user name that is used by Cisco DCNM-SAN Client and server.

> Note You may encounter a delay in authentication if you use a remote AAA server to authenticate Cisco DCNM-SAN or Device Manager.

> Note You must allow CLI sessions to pass through any firewall that exists between Cisco DCNM-SAN Client and Cisco DCNM-SAN Server.

> Note We recommend that you use the same password for the SNMPv3 user name authentication and privacy passwords as well as the matching CLI user name and password.

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