http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/lan/catalyst6500/ios/12-2SX/configuration/guide/book/dot1x.html
Release 12.2(33)SXJ and later releases support the Network Edge Access Topology (NEAT) feature. NEAT extends identity to areas outside the wiring closet (such as conference rooms). This allows any type of device to authenticate on the port.
•802.1x switch supplicant: You can configure a switch to act as a supplicant to another switch by using the 802.1x supplicant feature. This configuration is helpful in a scenario, where, for example, a switch is outside a wiring closet and is connected to an upstream switch through a trunk port. A switch configured with the 802.1x switch supplicant feature authenticates with the upstream switch for secure connectivity.
Once the supplicant switch authenticates successfully the port mode changes from access to trunk.
•If the access VLAN is configured on the authenticator switch, it becomes the native VLAN for the trunk port after successful authentication.