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

  • An administrator creates a local user account within N-central.

  • The user logs in using their username and password.

  • N-central compares the credentials against its local user database.

Examples of use

  • As a primary method in small deployments or isolated networks

  • As a fallback when centralized SSO (Entra ID, LDAP) is unavailable

  • For emergency access or service accounts that should not rely on third-party providers

Considerations

  • Less scalable than federated identity systems like Entra ID or LDAP

  • Requires manual user management (add, disable, password reset)

  • 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.