Configuring Accounting

The AAA accounting feature enables you to track the services users are accessing as well as the amount of network resources they are consuming. When aaa accounting is activated, the network access server reports user activity to the TACACS+ or RADIUS security server (depending on which security method you have implemented) in the form of accounting records. Each accounting record is comprised of accounting attribute-value (AV) pairs and is stored in a log file on the access control server. This log file can then be analyzed for network management, client billing, and auditing.

Note For additional information about these security tools and features, refer to the Security Configuration Guide or the Security Command Reference.

AAA Accounting Types

Cisco IOS Release 11.3 supports five different kinds of accounting:

Command accounting provides information about the EXEC shell commands for a specified privilege level that are being executed on a network access server. Each command accounting record includes a list of the commands executed for that privilege level, as well as the date and time each command was executed, and the user who executed it.

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ command accounting record for privilege level 1:

Wed Jun 25 03:46:47 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=3       service=shell   priv-lvl=1      cmd=show version 
Wed Jun 25 03:46:58 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=4       service=shell   priv-lvl=1      cmd=show interfaces Ethernet 0 
Wed Jun 25 03:47:03 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=5       service=shell   priv-lvl=1      cmd=show ip route

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ command accounting record for privilege level 15:

Wed Jun 25 03:47:17 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=6       service=shell   priv-lvl=15     cmd=configure terminal 
Wed Jun 25 03:47:21 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=7       service=shell   priv-lvl=15     cmd=interface Serial 0 
Wed Jun 25 03:47:29 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=8       service=shell   priv-lvl=15     cmd=ip address 1.1.1.1 255.255.255.0

Note Cisco's implementation of RADIUS does not support command accounting.

Connection Accounting

Connection accounting provides information about all outbound connections made from the network access server, such as Telnet, local-area transport (LAT), tn3270, packet assembler-disassembler (PAD), and rlogin.

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS connection accounting record for an outbound Telnet connection:

Wed Jun 25 04:28:00 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 2
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329477"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Login
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000008"
        Login-Service = Telnet
        Login-IP-Host = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:28:39 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 2
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329477"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Login
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000008"
        Login-Service = Telnet
        Login-IP-Host = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Input-Octets = 10774
        Acct-Output-Octets = 112
        Acct-Input-Packets = 91
        Acct-Output-Packets = 99
        Acct-Session-Time = 39
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ connection accounting record for an outbound Telnet connection:

Wed Jun 25 03:47:43 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  start    task_id=10      service=connection      protocol=telnet addr=171.68.202.158 cmd=telnet dpeng-sun
Wed Jun 25 03:48:38 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=10      service=connection      protocol=telnet addr=171.68.202.158 cmd=telnet dpeng-sun     bytes_in=4467   bytes_out=96    paks_in=61      paks_out=72 e
lapsed_time=55

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS connection accounting record for an outbound rlogin connection:

Wed Jun 25 04:29:48 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 2
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329477"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Login
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000A"
        Login-Service = Rlogin
        Login-IP-Host = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:30:09 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 2
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329477"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Login
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000A"
        Login-Service = Rlogin
        Login-IP-Host = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Input-Octets = 18686
        Acct-Output-Octets = 86
        Acct-Input-Packets = 90
        Acct-Output-Packets = 68
        Acct-Session-Time = 22
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ connection accounting record for an outbound rlogin connection:

Wed Jun 25 03:48:46 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  start    task_id=12      service=connection      protocol=rlogin addr=171.68.202.158 cmd=rlogin dpeng-sun /user dpeng
Wed Jun 25 03:51:37 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=12      service=connection      protocol=rlogin addr=171.68.202.158 cmd=rlogin dpeng-sun /user dpeng bytes_in=659926 bytes_out=138   paks_in=2378    paks_
out=1251        elapsed_time=171

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ connection accounting record for an outbound LAT connection:

Wed Jun 25 03:53:06 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  start    task_id=18      service=connection      protocol=lat    addr=VAX        cmd=lat VAX
Wed Jun 25 03:54:15 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=18      service=connection      protocol=lat    addr=VAX        cmd=lat VAX  bytes_in=0      bytes_out=0     paks_in=0      paks_out=0      elapsed_time=6

EXEC Accounting

EXEC accounting provides information about user EXEC terminal sessions (user shells) on the network access server, including user name, date, start and stop times, the access server IP address, and (for dial-in users) the telephone number the call originated from.

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS EXEC accounting record for a dial-in user:

Wed Jun 25 04:26:23 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 1
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329483"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Exec-User
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000006"
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
Wed Jun 25 04:27:25 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 1
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "4082329483"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Exec-User
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000006"
        Acct-Session-Time = 62
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ EXEC accounting record for a dial-in user:

Wed Jun 25 03:46:21 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  start    task_id=2       service=shell
Wed Jun 25 04:08:55 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty3    4082329430/4327528  stop     task_id=2       service=shell   elapsed_time=1354

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS EXEC accounting record for a Telnet user:

Wed Jun 25 04:48:32 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 26
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Caller-ID = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Exec-User
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000010"
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:48:46 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 26
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Caller-ID = "171.68.202.158"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Exec-User
        Acct-Session-Id = "00000010"
        Acct-Session-Time = 14
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ EXEC accounting record for a Telnet user:

Wed Jun 25 04:06:53 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty26   171.68.202.158  starttask_id=41      service=shell
Wed Jun 25 04:07:02 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty26   171.68.202.158  stoptask_id=41       service=shell   elapsed_time=9

Network Accounting

Network accounting provides information for all PPP, SLIP or ARAP sessions, including packet and byte counts.

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS network accounting record for a PPP user who comes in through an EXEC session:

Wed Jun 25 04:44:45 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 5
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "408"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Exec-User
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000D"
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:45:00 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 5
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "408"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Framed
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000E"
        Framed-IP-Address = "10.1.1.2"
        Framed-Protocol = PPP
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:47:46 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 5
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "408"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Framed
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000E"
        Framed-IP-Address = "10.1.1.2"
        Framed-Protocol = PPP
        Acct-Input-Octets = 3075
        Acct-Output-Octets = 167
        Acct-Input-Packets = 39
        Acct-Output-Packets = 9
        Acct-Session-Time = 171
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ network accounting record for a PPP user who first started an EXEC session:

Wed Jun 25 04:00:35 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty4    408/4327528     starttask_id=28      service=shell
Wed Jun 25 04:00:46 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty4    408/4327528     starttask_id=30      addr=10.1.1.1   service=ppp
Wed Jun 25 04:00:49 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty4    408/4327528     update       task_id=30      addr=10.1.1.1   service=ppp     protocol=ip     addr=10.1.1.1
Wed Jun 25 04:01:31 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty4    408/4327528     stoptask_id=30       addr=10.1.1.1   service=ppp     protocol=ip     addr=10.1.1.1   bytes_in=2844        bytes_out=1682  paks_in=36      paks_out=24     elapsed_time=51
Wed Jun 25 04:01:32 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   tty4    408/4327528     stoptask_id=28       service=shell   elapsed_time=57

The following example shows the information contained in a RADIUS network accounting record for a PPP user who comes in through autoselect:

Wed Jun 25 04:30:52 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 3
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "408"
        Acct-Status-Type = Start
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Framed
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000B"
        Framed-Protocol = PPP
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"
 
Wed Jun 25 04:36:49 1997
        NAS-IP-Address = "172.16.25.15"
        NAS-Port = 3
        User-Name = "dpeng"
        Client-Port-DNIS = "4327528"
        Caller-ID = "408"
        Acct-Status-Type = Stop
        Acct-Authentic = RADIUS
        Service-Type = Framed
        Acct-Session-Id = "0000000B"
        Framed-Protocol = PPP
        Framed-IP-Address = "10.1.1.1"
        Acct-Input-Octets = 8630
        Acct-Output-Octets = 5722
        Acct-Input-Packets = 94
        Acct-Output-Packets = 64
        Acct-Session-Time = 357
        Acct-Delay-Time = 0
        User-Id = "dpeng"
        NAS-Identifier = "172.16.25.15"

The following example shows the information contained in a TACACS+ network accounting record for a PPP user who comes in through autoselect:

Wed Jun 25 04:02:19 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   Async5  408/4327528     starttask_id=35      service=ppp
Wed Jun 25 04:02:25 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   Async5  408/4327528     update       task_id=35      service=ppp     protocol=ip     addr=10.1.1.2
Wed Jun 25 04:05:03 1997        172.16.25.15    dpeng   Async5  408/4327528     stoptask_id=35       service=ppp     protocol=ip     addr=10.1.1.2   bytes_in=3366   bytes_out=2149       paks_in=42      paks_out=28     elapsed_time=164

System Accounting

System accounting provides information about all system-level events, (for example, when the system reboots, or when accounting is turned on or off).

The following accounting record is an example of a typical TACACS+ system accounting record server indicating that AAA accounting has been turned off:

Wed Jun 25 03:55:32 1997        172.16.25.15    unknown unknown unknown start   task_id=25   service=system  event=sys_acct  reason=reconfigure

The following accounting record is an example of a TACACS+ system accounting record indicating that AAA accounting has been turned on:

Wed Jun 25 03:55:22 1997        172.16.25.15    unknown unknown unknown stop    task_id=23   service=system  event=sys_acct  reason=reconfigure

Note Cisco's implementation of RADIUS does not support system accounting.

Additional tasks for measuring system resources are covered in other chapters in the Cisco IOS software configuration guides. For example, IP accounting tasks are described in the "Configuring IP Services" chapter in the Network Protocols Configuration Guide, Part 1.

Configuring AAA Accounting

This chapter describes the following tasks:

Prerequisites

Before configuring AAA accounting, you must first:

Enable AAA on your network access server.
Define the characteristics of your RADIUS or TACACS+ security server.

Enable Accounting

The aaa accounting command allows you to create a record for any or all of the accounting functions monitored. To enable AAA accounting, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task	Command
Enable accounting.	aaa accounting {system \| network \| connection \| exec \| command level} {start-stop \| wait-start \| stop-only} {tacacs+ \| radius}

For minimal accounting, use the stop-only keyword, which instructs the specified authentication system (RADIUS or TACACS+) to send a stop record accounting notice at the end of the requested user process. For more accounting information, use the start-stop keyword to send a start accounting notice at the beginning of the requested process and a stop accounting notice at the end of the process. You can further control access and accounting by using the wait-start keyword, which ensures that the RADIUS or TACACS+ security server receives the start notice before granting the user's process request.

When aaa accounting is activated, the Cisco IOS software issues accounting records for all users on the system, including users whose username string, because of protocol translation, is NULL. To prevent accounting records from being generated for users who do not have usernames associated with them, perform the following task in global configuration mode:

Task	Command
Prevent accounting records from being generated for users whose username string is NULL.	aaa accounting suppress null-username

Accounting Attribute/Value Pairs

The network access server monitors the accounting functions defined in either TACACS+ attribute/value (AV) pairs or RADIUS attributes, depending on which security method you have implemented. For a list of supported RADIUS accounting attributes, refer to the "Radius Attributes" chapter in the Security Configuration Guide. For a list of supported TACACS+ accounting AV pairs, refer to the "TACACS+ AV Pairs" chapter in the Security Configuration Guide.

Monitor Accounting

No specific show command exists for either RADIUS or TACACS+. To obtain accounting records displaying information about users currently logged in, perform the following task in EXEC mode:

Task	Command
Step through all active sessions to print all the accounting records for the actively accounted functions.	show accounting

Accounting Example

In the following sample configuration, RADIUS-style authorization is used to track all usage of the following:

EXEC commands
Network services, such as SLIP, PPP, and ARAP
System-level events not associated with users

aaa accounting exec start-stop radius
aaa accounting network start-stop radius
aaa accounting system start-stop radius

The show accounting command yields the following output for the above configuration:

Active Accounted actions on tty0, User billw Priv 1
 Task ID 2, EXEC Accounting record, 00:02:13 Elapsed
 task_id=2 service=shell 
 Task ID 3, Connection Accounting record, 00:02:07 Elapsed
 task_id=3 service=connection protocol=telnet address=172.21.14.90 cmd=synth 
Active Accounted actions on tty1, User rubble Priv 1
 Task ID 5, Network Accounting record, 00:00:52 Elapsed
 task_id=5 service=ppp protocol=ip address=10.0.0.98 
Active Accounted actions on tty10, User bill Priv 1
 Task ID 4, EXEC Accounting record, 00:00:53 Elapsed
 task_id=4 service=shell

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