About local authentication
Local authentication in N-able N-central is a method of verifying user identities using credentials that are stored directly within the N-central server, rather than relying on an external identity provider (for example, Microsoft Entra ID or Active Directory).
How it works
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An administrator creates a local user account within N-central.
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The user logs in using their username and password.
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N-central compares the credentials against its local user database.
Examples of use
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As a primary method in small deployments or isolated networks
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As a fallback when centralized SSO (Entra ID, LDAP) is unavailable
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For emergency access or service accounts that should not rely on third-party providers
Considerations
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Less scalable than federated identity systems like Entra ID or LDAP
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Requires manual user management (add, disable, password reset)
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Should be secured with MFA to prevent unauthorized access
Review the User Accounts section for information on how to create user, assign a user to a role, assign a user to an access group, reset a user password and delete a user.
The latest N-central capabilities - including Ecoverse features and views such as Asset Views and Vulnerability Management - are only available when using N-able Login.
Discover the paths to move from another authentication method to N-able login.
Learn how to Enroll existing users into N-able Login and view information on transitioning existing N-central Users to N-able Login with Entra ID.