Q
What is Aruba ClearPass?
A
Aruba ClearPass is a network access control (NAC) and policy management platform that secures wired, wireless and VPN connections through authentication, authorization, device profiling and automated policy enforcement.
Q
How does Aruba ClearPass enhance network security?
A
ClearPass enforces role-based access control, integrates threat intelligence and performs real-time device profiling to ensure only authenticated, compliant devices and users connect to your network.
Q
What are the key features of Aruba ClearPass?
A
Key features include RADIUS/TACACS+ authentication, dynamic role-based access control, device profiling, guest and IoT onboarding, centralized policy management, reporting and third-party integrations.
Q
How does ClearPass handle device profiling?
A
ClearPass uses deep packet inspection, DHCP, SNMP, and RADIUS data to identify OS, hardware, applications and user behavior, enabling customized access policies for each device type.
Q
Can Aruba ClearPass integrate with Active Directory?
A
Yes. ClearPass integrates with Active Directory and other LDAP/SAML directories to validate credentials, retrieve group memberships and enforce granular, directory-driven access policies.
Q
What deployment options are available for Aruba ClearPass?
A
ClearPass supports on-premises appliances, virtual machines, private/public cloud deployments and SaaS, allowing flexible scaling to meet enterprise, SMB and service provider requirements.
Q
How does ClearPass support guest network access?
A
ClearPass Guest provides self-service portals, voucher and sponsor workflows, custom branding and time/date restrictions to deliver secure, easy-to-manage Wi-Fi access for visitors.
Q
What authentication methods does ClearPass support?
A
ClearPass supports 802.1X/EAP, PEAP/MS-CHAPv2, EAP-TLS, MAC authentication, captive portal, social login and certificate-based authentication for comprehensive network access control.
Q
How scalable is Aruba ClearPass for large enterprises?
A
Built for scale, ClearPass can cluster multiple servers for high availability and load balancing, supporting tens of thousands of concurrent sessions and distributed policy enforcement.
Q
Does ClearPass support multi-vendor network environments?
A
Yes. ClearPass works with switches, routers and wireless LAN controllers from Aruba and third-party vendors, enforcing consistent access policies across heterogeneous networks.
Q
What reporting and analytics capabilities does ClearPass offer?
A
ClearPass provides real-time dashboards, customizable reports, historical logs and compliance auditing, enabling visibility into user activity, device posture and policy violations.
Q
How does ClearPass enforce network access policies?
A
ClearPass evaluates user identity, device type and posture against defined rules at the RADIUS/TACACS+ gateway, dynamically assigning VLANs, ACLs or remediation actions based on policy.
Q
Can ClearPass onboard IoT devices?
A
Yes. ClearPass Onboard automates secure provisioning of certificates or credentials to IoT and unmanaged devices, ensuring continuous compliance and segmented network access.
Q
What licensing models are available for ClearPass?
A
ClearPass offers device-based, user-based and feature-based licensing tiers, including base, guest, onboarding and threat-insight modules, to align with deployment scale and functionality needs.
Q
How does ClearPass achieve high availability?
A
High availability is achieved through active-active or active-standby clustering of ClearPass servers, shared policy databases and state synchronization to ensure uninterrupted enforcement.
Q
What APIs and integrations are supported by ClearPass?
A
ClearPass provides RESTful APIs, webhooks and integrations with SIEM, MDM, firewalls and orchestration tools, enabling automated response, threat sharing and cross-platform policy orchestration.
Q
How does Aruba ClearPass streamline user onboarding?
A
ClearPass Onboard guides end users through self-service certificate or credential enrollment, automatically configuring devices for secure 802.1X access without IT intervention.