HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) is a network access control (NAC) solution that provides device profiling, authentication, and policy enforcement. In this scenario, the company wants to profile clients to determine their device type and use that information to define access rights. Device profiling in ClearPass involves identifying and categorizing devices based on various attributes, such as DHCP fingerprints, HTTP User-Agent strings, or TCP fingerprinting, to assign them to specific device categories (e.g., Windows, macOS, IoT devices, etc.). These categories can then be used in policy decisions to grant or restrict access.
Option A, "Assigning clients to their device categories," directly aligns with ClearPass’s role in device profiling. ClearPass collects profiling data from network devices (like APs, MCs, or switches) and uses its profiling engine to categorize devices. This categorization is a core function of ClearPass Device Insight, which is integrated into CPPM, and is used to build policies based on device type.
Option B, "Helping to forward profiling information to the component responsible for profiling," is incorrect because ClearPass itself is the component responsible for profiling. It doesn’t forward data to another system for profiling; instead, it collects data (e.g., via DHCP snooping, HTTP headers, or mirrored traffic) and processes it internally.
Option C, "Accepting and enforcing CoA messages," refers to ClearPass’s ability to send Change of Authorization (CoA) messages to network devices to dynamically change a client’s access rights (e.g., reassign a role or disconnect a session). While CoA is part of ClearPass’s enforcement capabilities, it is not directly related to the profiling process or categorizing devices.
Option D, "Enforcing access control decisions," is a broader function of ClearPass. While ClearPass does enforce access control decisions based on profiling data (e.g., by assigning roles or VLANs), the question specifically asks about its role in the profiling process, not the enforcement step that follows.
The HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide states:
"ClearPass Policy Manager provides a mechanism to profile devices that connect to the network. Device profiling collects information about a device during its authentication or through network monitoring (e.g., DHCP, HTTP, or SNMP). The collected data is used to identify and categorize the device into a device category (e.g., Computer, Smartphone, Printer, etc.) and device family (e.g., Windows, Android, etc.). These categories can then be used in policy conditions to enforce access control." (Page 245, Device Profiling Section)
Additionally, the ClearPass Device Insight Data Sheet notes:
"ClearPass Device Insight uses a combination of passive and active profiling techniques to identify and classify devices. It assigns devices to categories based on their attributes, enabling organizations to create granular access policies." (Page 2)
[References:, HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide, Device Profiling Section, Page 245., ClearPass Device Insight Data Sheet, Page 2.===========]
