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CiscoSecure UNIX Server Accounting

CiscoSecure UNIX Server Accounting

CiscoSecure UNIX Server Accounting

This chapter contains information about the CiscoSecure UNIX Server software accounting database file and how to enable accounting using the software.

In Cisco IOS Release 11.0 and later, the TACACS+ protocol provides accounting information which includes start and stop times, login duration, and network resources used. CiscoSecure UNIX Server software records accounting information into an accounting file which is specified in the server control file. However, if your system has limited file storage space, you can configure the system to allow accounting information to be dropped rather than written to a file. This, together with the extensible accounting function, gives you flexibility in using resources without necessarily requiring large file storage capacity.


Accounting on the Server

You only need to configure one accounting parameter, the accounting filename. All accounting records are written as text to this file. The filename is configured in the server control file as follows:

STRING config_accounting_database_filename = "./accounting";


Accounting Database

An accounting record is structured as follows:

char  nas_name[]  /* NAS name */
char  user_name[]  /* username */
char  port_name[]  /* port the connection is on */
char  remote_address[]  /* where the user connected from */
char  record_type[]  /* (start, update, stop etc) */

char  server_name[]  /* name of the host CiscoSecure server */
char  attribute_value_pair[]  /* there are an arbitrary number of these */

Typical values in the accounting attribute_value_pair are listed inTable 5-1.

Table 5-1 : Typical Attribute Value Pairs

Attribute Value(s)
event_id Start and stop records for the same event will have matching (unique) event_id's
start_time The time the action started (in seconds since the epoch, 12:00 midnight January 1, 1970).
stop_time The time the action stopped (in seconds since the epoch).
elapsed_time The elapsed time in seconds for the action. Useful when the device does not have real time.
bytes The number of bytes transferred by this action.
bytes_in The number of input bytes transferred by this action.
bytes_out The number of output bytes transferred by this action.
packets The number of packets transferred by this action.
packets_in The number of input packets transferred by this action.
packets_out The number of output packets transferred by this action.
status The numeric status value associated with the action. This is a signed four-byte word in network byte order. 0 is defined as success. Negative numbers indicate errors; positive numbers indicate nonerror failures. The exact status values may be defined by the client.
err_msg An ASCII string describing the status of the action.


Note Times are recorded in UTZ (GMT) time.

Each accounting record is terminated by the newline character (\n), and individual fields are separated by a tab character; record lengths are not fixed. All numeric values in attribute_value_pair strings are sent and recorded as decimal ASCII numbers. The accounting record file consists of a sequence of such records, written to stable storage on a periodic, configurable basis.

The following is sample output of the accounting system (with each line wrapped to fit onto the page):

cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=10:17:38  date=12/10/95  task_id=15994  service=exec  port=2
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=10:17:38  date=12/10/95  task_id=15994  service=exec  port=2  
service=exec  port=2
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:25:06  date=12/10/95  task_id=8125  service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:25:06  date=12/10/95  task_id=8125  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  stop  
server=server1  time=10:25:16  date=12/10/95  task_id=8125  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1  elapsed_time=10
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:25:35  date=12/10/95  task_id=38633  service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:25:35  date=12/10/95  task_id=38633  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  stop  
server=server1  time=10:26:23  date=12/10/95  task_id=38633  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1  elapsed_time=48
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:27:08  date=12/10/95  task_id=64426  service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:27:08  date=12/10/95  task_id=64426  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  stop  
server=server1  time=10:27:18  date=12/10/95  task_id=64426  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1  elapsed_time=10
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:27:52  date=12/10/95  task_id=40924  service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:27:52  date=12/10/95  task_id=40924  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1

cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty1  async  stop  
server=server1  time=10:38:07  date=12/10/95  task_id=40924  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1  elapsed_time=615
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  start  
server=server1  time=10:38:38  date=12/10/95  task_id=29949  service=exec  port=1
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty1  async  stop  
server=server1  time=10:38:41  date=12/10/95  task_id=29949  service=exec  port=1  
service=exec  port=1  elapsed_time=4
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty2  192.207.126.16  stop  
server=server1  time=11:31:39  date=12/10/95  task_id=15994  service=exec  port=2  
service=exec  port=2  elapsed_time=4441
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=12:14:26  date=12/10/95  task_id=14192  service=exec  port=2
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=12:14:26  date=12/10/95  task_id=14192  service=exec  port=2  
service=exec  port=2
cisco.smallworks.com  terry  tty2  192.207.126.16  stop  
server=server1  time=12:15:24  date=12/10/95  task_id=14192  service=exec  port=2  
service=exec  port=2  elapsed_time=58
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=06:05:10  date=12/11/95  task_id=28406  service=exec  port=2
cisco.smallworks.com  jes  tty2  192.207.126.16  start  
server=server1  time=06:05:10  date=12/11/95  task_id=28406  service=exec  port=2  
service=exec  port=2

Before each write operation, CiscoSecure UNIX Server software checks the accounting file to see if its filename has changed and, if it has, the existing accounting file is closed and a new copy of the file is opened. This prevents any loss of data when you are archiving accounting data while CiscoSecure UNIX Server software is running.

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