Methods and systems for user authentication

A system for user authentication, comprising:

• a management station, configured to send an authentication request message of an authentication protocol to a managed device via a management protocol, send user authentication information to the managed device, and receive an authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol sent from the managed device via the management protocol;
• wherein the management protocol comprises an extensible markup language (XML)-based network configuration protocol (Netconf), and the authentication protocol comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP);
• and
• wherein the management station is further configured to:
• add, in the Netconf, an operation type for user identity authentication and an XML tag for EAP authentication message encapsulation;
• encapsulate the authentication request message of the EAP into the XML tag:
• and
• set the XML tap in an operation associated with the operation type for user identity authentication.

A system for user authentication, comprising:

• a managed device, configured to:
• authenticate the user via an authentication protocol based on user authentication information sent from a management station, and send an authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol carrying an authentication result to the management station via a management protocol;
• or
• send the user authentication information sent from the management station to a backend authentication server via an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) protocol, convert an authentication result returned from the backend authentication server into an authentication acknowledgement message of the authentication protocol, and send the authentication acknowledgement message to the management station via the management protocol;
• wherein the management protocol comprises an extensible markup language (XML)-based network configuration protocol (Netconf), and the authentication protocol comprises an extensible authentication protocol (EAP);
• and
• wherein the management station is configured to:
• add, in the Netconf, an operation type for user identity authentication and an XML tag for EAP authentication message encapsulation;
• encapsulate the authentication acknowledgement message of the EAP into the XML tag:
• and
• set the XML tag in an operation associated with the operation type for user identity authentication.