Endpoint classification in HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager (CPPM) involves identifying and categorizing devices on the network to enforce access policies. CPPM supports two types of profiling methods: passive and active.
Passive Profiling: Involves observing network traffic that devices send as part of their normal operation, without CPPM sending any requests to the device. Examples include DHCP fingerprinting, HTTP User-Agent analysis, and TCP fingerprinting.
Active Profiling: Involves CPPM sending requests to the device to gather information, such as SNMP scans, WMI scans, or SSH probes.
Option A, "TCP fingerprinting," is correct. TCP fingerprinting is a passive profiling method where CPPM analyzes TCP packet headers (e.g., TTL, window size) in the device’s normal network traffic to identify its operating system. This does not require CPPM to send any requests to the device, making it a passive method.
Option B, "SSH scans," is incorrect. SSH scans involve actively connecting to a device over SSH to gather information (e.g., system details), which is an active profiling method.
Option C, "WMI scans," is incorrect. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) scans involve CPPM querying a Windows device to gather information (e.g., OS version, installed software), which is an active profiling method.
Option D, "SNMP scans," is incorrect. SNMP scans involve CPPM sending SNMP requests to a device to gather information (e.g., system description, interfaces), which is an active profiling method.
The HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide states:
"Passive profiling methods observe network traffic that endpoints send as part of their normal operation, without ClearPass sending any requests to the device. An example of passive profiling is TCP fingerprinting, where ClearPass analyzes TCP packet headers (e.g., TTL, window size) to identify the device’s operating system. Active profiling methods, such as SNMP scans, WMI scans, or SSH scans, involve ClearPass sending requests to the device to gather information." (Page 246, Passive vs. Active Profiling Section)
Additionally, the ClearPass Device Insight Data Sheet notes:
"Passive profiling techniques, such as TCP fingerprinting, allow ClearPass to identify devices without generating additional network traffic. By analyzing TCP attributes in the device’s normal traffic, ClearPass can fingerprint the OS, making it a non-intrusive method for endpoint classification." (Page 3, Profiling Methods Section)
[References:, HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass Policy Manager 6.11 User Guide, Passive vs. Active Profiling Section, Page 246., ClearPass Device Insight Data Sheet, Profiling Methods Section, Page 3.===========]
