Cisco NX-OS Licensing Options Guide

 

This document contains information related to feature and module-based licensing options for Cisco Nexus switches that run Cisco NX-OS software.

Note: The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product.

The following table lists the changes to this document.

 

Licensing Cisco NX-OS Software Features

Licensing allows you to access specified premium features on your device after you install the appropriate license for that feature. The following table compares licensing support between Cisco Nexus 5000/7000 Series switches and Cisco Nexus 3000/9000 Series switches.

Table 1.                 Licensing Support for Cisco NX-OS Switches

¹ The following warning might display when installing the honor-based license. Please ignore this warning and continue with the install. !!!!!!  WARNING: 'LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG' LICENSE NOT FOUND ON THE SYSTEM  !!!!!!. You have tried to enable a licensed feature [ospf] without installing the 'LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG' license, which has not been found on the system.
² Temporary licenses with an expiry date are available for evaluation and lab use purposes. They are strictly not allowed to be used in production. Please use a permanent or subscription license that has been purchased through Cisco for production purposes. Evaluation license is supported with Smart Software License but not with Traditional license in Cisco Nexus 9000 series switches.

 

Tier-Based Licenses

Tier-based licensing is available for some Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series switches. This licensing model applies to both Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and NX-OS standalone architectures where these switches can be deployed.

The Release History for Licensing section lists the platforms that support tier-based licensing and the release in which support was introduced.

Tier-based licensing offers the following benefits:

■        Consistency across ACI and NX-OS licensing (for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches).

■        The simplicity of being able to purchase a group of feature licenses as packages: Essentials, Advantage, Premier.

■        Subscription-based or perpetual licenses

o    A subscription-based license enables you to purchase a license for a specific period of time based on your requirement. A subscription-based license is offered as an Essentials, Advantage, or Premier license package.

o    Purchasing a subscription-based license gives you the opportunity to adjust/upgrade the terms of the license (such as moving from Advantage to Premier) at the time of license renewal.

o    A perpetual license enables you to make a one-time purchase of a license that does not expire. A perpetual license is offered as an Advantage license package but is not available as an Essentials or Premium license.

Note:       Several add-on licenses are also available, which can be added to either tier or purchased independently.

Along with the infographic below, the Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 Series NX-OS Switch License Navigator (https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/td/docs/Website/datacenter/license/index.html) is available to help you select the appropriate license for your needs.

 

Table 2.                 NX-OS License Package features Included in Tier-Based Licenses for Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 Series Switches

³ No license is consumed if default/management VRF is enabled. Enabling additional VRFs will require Essentials license.

⁴ Feature Pervasive Load Balancing (PLB) is deprecated. Instead, feature ePBR was introduced in NXOS 9.3.5 for all service redirection and load-balancing needs.

Table 3.                 NX-OS License Package features Included in Add-On Licenses for Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 Series Switches

⁴ Beginning with Cisco Nexus Release 9.3(5), Secure VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site using CloudSec is supported only on Cisco Nexus 9300-FX2 platform switches. Beginning with Cisco Nexus Release 10.1(1), Secure VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site using CloudSec is supported on Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 platform switches.

 

Note:       Feature support varies by platform and release. See the Nexus Switch Platform Support Matrix to determine which features are supported for your platform.

The following options are available when you order an Essentials or Advantage package:

·         Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches

o    Essentials or Advantage subscription license for DCN (ACI+NX-OS) for 3, 5, or 7 years

o    Advantage perpetual license for DCN (ACI+NX-OS)

o    Advantage perpetual license for NX-OS

o    NX-OS upgrade licenses

·         Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches

o    Essentials or Advantage subscription license for NX-OS for 3, 5, or 7 years

o    Advantage perpetual license for NX-OS

Essentials package is offered as subscription only. Essential perpetual license is no longer sold.

If you install a subscription-based license, you will be notified 90 days before your licensing contract expires.

Note:       If the Essentials license expires after the Advantage license is installed, the following message appears: "LIC_LICENSE_EXPIRED: License expired for feature NXOS_ESSENTIALS_XF. Feature will run in honor mode." You can ignore this message because the license is no longer in use.

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Tier-Based Licenses

The DCN (ACI+NX-OS) Essentials, Advantage, and add-on licenses are supported for Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.2(3). Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(7) and 9.3(2), the ACI Premier licenses are supported for Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches. These licenses support license migration from Cisco NX-OS to ACI. Any attempt to install these licenses for a prior release will fail.

When you downgrade from Cisco NX-OS Release 9.2(3) to an earlier release, the features that use the DCN (ACI+NX-OS) Essentials, Advantage, and add-on licenses continue to work in honor mode in the downgraded version. In addition, the output of the show license usage command continues to include entries for these unsupported licenses.

Table 4.                 License Categories and Associated Supported Platforms (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches)

 

Note:       The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches support static routes, switch virtual interfaces (SVIs), and Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) by default without any license.

 

Table 5.                 PIDs for Subscription Tier-Based Licenses for DCN (ACI+NX-OS) (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches - Fixed Platforms)

 

^* Cisco Nexus 9300-GX platforms do not support MACSec feature.

^*Security add on license is mandatory for N9K-C9348D-GX2A platform. This platform is targeted for use cases that require MACSec on all ports.

^# Sync-E add-on licenses are applicable only for Cisco Nexus 9300-FX3 platforms.

 

Table 6.                 PIDs for Subscription Tier-Based Licenses for DCN (ACI+NX-OS) (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches - Modular Platforms)

⁷ The ACI Premier license package includes the ACI Essentials and ACI Advantage license packages.

 

Table 7.                 PIDs for Perpetual Tier-Based Licenses for DCN (ACI+NX-OS) (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches)

¹⁰ The licenses for the Cisco Nexus 9364C switch are supported beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(6). The licenses for the Cisco Nexus 9300-GX switches are supported beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(3).

¹¹ Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Releases 7.0(3)I7(6) and 9.3(1), the -XF2 Essentials and Advantage licenses have priority over the -XF licenses. If an -XF license is installed and features are checked out from this license and then you later install the -XF2 license, the -XF license shows as unused (in the output of the show license usage command), and the features become checked out from the -XF2 license. The Advantage licenses continue to have priority over the Essentials licenses.

¹² The following statements are applicable for ACI-STRG:

●   This license includes DCNM/NDFC SAN Advanced and is available for Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX and 93360YC-FX2 platform switches. ACI-STRG will license only 48 ports of native Fiber Channel ports.

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 10.3(1)F, FCoE with N9K-C93180YC-FX3 in FEX mode is supported only with N9K-C93180YC-FX switches in NPV mode so the ACI-STRG license is needed for the N9K-C93180YC-FX. No ACI-STRG license is needed for N9K-C93180YC-FX3 running in FEX mode. N9K-C93180YC-FX3 in switch mode does not support FCoE.

¹³ SyncE supported by 9300-FX3 and -FX3S Switch starting from Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(5) onwards.

 

The NX-OS Essentials, Advantage, and add-on licenses are supported for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(3).

 

Table 8.                 PIDs for Perpetual Tier-Based Licenses for NX-OS (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches - Fixed Platforms)

¹³ The licenses for the Cisco Nexus 9364C switch are supported beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(6). The licenses for the Cisco Nexus 9300-GX switches are supported beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(3).

¹⁴ Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Releases 7.0(3)I7(6) and 9.3(1), the -XF2 Essentials and Advantage licenses have priority over the -XF licenses. If an -XF license is installed and features are checked out from this license and then you later install the -XF2 license, the -XF license shows as unused (in the output of the show license usage command), and the features become checked out from the -XF2 license. The Advantage licenses continue to have priority over the Essentials licenses.

¹⁵ ACI-SEC-XF is required only for supporting the uplink ports on 9348GC-FXP Platform.

¹⁶ ACI-SEC-XF replaces NXOS-SEC-XF. NXOS-SEC-XF is no longer orderable.

¹⁷ This license includes DCNM/NDFC SAN Advanced. NXOS-STRG is no longer orderable.

 

Table 9.                 PIDs for Perpetual Tier-Based Licenses for NX-OS (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches - Modular Platforms)

You can use the following licenses to upgrade from an NX-OS LAN Enterprise Services license to an NX-OS Essentials or Advantage license.

 

Table 10.             NX-OS Supported Upgrade Licenses (Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches)

 

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Tier-Based Licenses

The NX-OS Essentials, Advantage, and add-on licenses are supported for some Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches.

 

The -XM licenses apply to modular switches, the -XF licenses apply to switches with less than 6.4 Tbps, and the -XF2 licenses apply to switches with more than 6.4 Tbps.

 

The -XF2 Essentials and Advantage licenses have priority over the -XF licenses. If an -XF license is installed and features are checked out from this license and then you later install the -XF2 license, the -XF license shows as unused (in the output of the show license usage command), and the features become checked out from the -XF2 license. The Advantage licenses to have priority over the Essentials licenses.

 

Table 11.             PIDs for Subscription Tier-Based Licenses for NX-OS (Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches)

¹⁸ License support for Cisco Nexus 3400-S switches:

·         N3K-C3408-S: N3K-ES-XM-3Y and N3K-ES-XM-5Y

·         N3K-C3432D-S: N3K-ES-XF2-3Y and N3K-ES-XF2-5Y

Table 12.             PIDs for Perpetual Tier-Based Licenses for NX-OS (Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switches)

 

Feature-Based Licenses (End of Sale)

Feature-based licenses make features available to the entire physical device. Therefore, you only require one copy of the license for a device. A license only supports the listed features. Licenses may be specific to a particular hardware platform. These are legacy licenses and no longer sold.

Any feature that is not included in a license package is bundled with the Cisco NX-OS software and is provided at no extra charge to you.

Note:       For specific implementation of features, see the Release Notes document and configuration guides for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches.

Note:       The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches support static routes, switch virtual interfaces (SVIs), and Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) by default (without any license).

The licenses are independent of each other. If you want to use features that are covered by different licenses, you must install all the appropriate licenses.

 

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series (which includes Cisco Nexus 9200, 9300, 9300-EX, 9300-FX/FX2/FX3/FXP, and 9500 switches) in Cisco NX-OS mode.

 

Note:       In the CCW tool, these licenses are described as legacy NX-OS software licenses.

Table 13.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series in Cisco NX-OS Mode

*The 24-port licenses are hardware licenses. They are independent of any Cisco NX-OS or ACI software feature sets or software licenses.

**ACI-SEC-XF replaces NXOS-SEC-XF. NXOS-SEC-XF is no longer orderable.

***ACI-SEC-XM replaces NXOS-SEC-XM. NXOS-SEC-XM is no longer orderable.

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, which includes Cisco Nexus 7000 switches and Cisco Nexus 7700 switches.

Table 14.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 6000 Series switches.

Table 15.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 6000 Series

²⁰ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG gives unlimited static routes and a maximum of 256 dynamic routes across all the protocols.
²¹ Routes above 256 for all protocols are included in the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
²² Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed. When you configure HSRP in a virtual port channel (vPC) on the Cisco Nexus 6000 platform without installing the LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license, it sends an HSRP hello message to the link-local multicast address and enables the Active-Active state.
²³ Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed.
²⁴ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license should be installed in order to use the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
²⁵ Routes above 256 for all the protocols included in the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
²⁶ L3 IS-IS will be available starting with the Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(1)N1(1).
²⁷ N6K-SERVICES1K9 is available from Cisco NX-OS Release 7.2(0)N1(1). To use RISE and ITD features with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.1(1)N1(1), use the ENHANCED_LAYER2_PKG license.
²⁸ These licenses are applicable to Cisco Nexus 6004 20 UP LEM only.
²⁹ These licenses are applicable to Cisco Nexus 6004 20 UP LEM only.

 

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 5600 Series switches.

Table 16.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 5600 Series

³⁰ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG gives unlimited static routes and a maximum of 256 dynamic routes across all the protocols.
³¹ Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed.
³² Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed.
³³ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license should be installed in order to use the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
³⁴ Routes above 256 for all the protocols included in the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
³⁵ L3 IS-IS will be available starting with the Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(1)N1(1).
³⁶ VXLAN Flood and Learn is supported from Cisco NX-OS Release 7.1(0)N1(1) and requires the LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license and the ENHANCED_LAYER2_PKG license. From Cisco NX-OS Release 7.2(1)N1(1), VXLAN Flood and Learn will require the LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license and the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license only.
³⁷ VXLAN EVPN is supported from Cisco NX-OS Release 7.3(0)N1(1) and will require the LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license and the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
³⁸ N56-SERVICES1K9 is available from Cisco NX-OS Release 7.2(0)N1(1). To use RISE and ITD features with Cisco NX-OS Release 7.1(1)N1(1), use the ENHANCED_LAYER2_PKG license.
³⁹ This license is applicable to Cisco Nexus 5672UP-16G only.
⁴⁰ This license is applicable to Cisco Nexus 5696 20 Port UP LEM only.

 

The prefix of the Product ID number indicates the platform for which the license applies. For example, N5548 indicates that the license is for the Cisco Nexus 5548 switch only, and N5K indicates that the license is for all Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series and Cisco 5500 Series Platform.

Table 17.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 5000 and Nexus 5500 Series

⁴¹ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG gives unlimited static routes and a maximum of 256 dynamic routes across all the protocols.
⁴² Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed.
⁴³ Although this feature can be enabled and configured in the CLI without this license, it will not function until the license is installed.
⁴⁴ The LAN_BASE_SERVICES_PKG license should be installed to use the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
⁴⁵ Routes above 256 for all the protocols are included in the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
⁴⁶ N55-SERVICES1K9 is available from Cisco NX-OS Release 7.2(0)N1(1). To use RISE and ITD features with the Cisco NX-OS Release 7.1(1)N1(1), use the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG license.
⁴⁷ Starting NXOS 7.2(0)N1(1), LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG package does not contain ITD license. You need to install NETWORK_SERVICES_PKG package for ITD.

 

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 4000 Series.

Table 18.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 4000 Series

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 3600 platform switches.

Table 19.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 3600 Platform Switches

 

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series switches.

Table 20.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 3500 Series Switches

⁴⁸For Cisco NX-OS releases prior to 9.3(3), the BGP feature is checked out from the LAN1K9_ENT_SERVICES_PKG for both Cisco Nexus 3524 and 3548 platform switches.

⁴⁹ For Cisco NX-OS releases prior to 9.3(3), the PBR feature is checked out from the LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG for both Cisco Nexus 3524 and 3548 platform switches.

 

Note:       After upgrading to Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(7), the show license usage command might display license mismatches that do not apply to Cisco Nexus 3500 Series switches. A "License Missing" warning in the comments section may also be displayed. Issue the clear license sprom command to recover from this state.

The following table lists the feature-based license packages for the Cisco Nexus 3000 Series.

Table 21.             Feature-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 3000 Series

 

Module-based Licenses

Module-based licenses make features available to one module on the physical device, so you need one copy of the license for each module that you want to enable the features on. Each license only supports the listed features. Licenses may be specific to a particular hardware platform or module.

Any feature not included in a license package is bundled with the Cisco NX-OS software and is provided at no extra charge to you.

This table lists the module license packages for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, which includes Cisco Nexus 7000 switches and Cisco Nexus 7700 switches.

Table 22.             Module-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series

 

Note:       The licenses are independent of each other. If you want to use features that are covered by different licenses, you must install all appropriate licenses. For example, if you want to use EIGRP and VDCs on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you must install both the Enterprise Services Package license and the Advanced Services Package license.

Bundle/Chassis-based Licenses

Bundle/Chassis-based licensing makes the Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) feature available for all supported line card modules such as F2 and F3 for that particular chassis with max counts supported by that chassis.

Note:       Bundle/Chassis-based licensing is not supported for the Cisco Nexus 7000 series.

This table lists the bundle/chassis-based licenses for the Cisco Nexus 7700 Series.

Table 23.             Bundle/Chassis-Based Licenses for the Cisco Nexus 7700 Series

 

Honor Mode Licensing

Starting from Cisco NX-OS Releases 8.2(4) and 8.4(1), Honor Mode Licensing is supported on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches. Honor mode licensing allows you to enable or continue using a feature without having a valid license for that feature. In such a scenario, a syslog is generated once every 7 days until you acquire the required license. An example of such a syslog is given below.

%LICMGR-2-LOG_LIC_MISSING_WARNING: A feature that requires LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG 
license is not installed. System supports honor based licensing so feature will 
continue to be fully functional. Use 'show license usage <package-name>' to find 
features using missing license.

Licensing Terminology

The following terms are used in this document:

 

Licensed feature

Permission to use a particular feature through a license file, a hardware object, or a legal contract. This permission is limited to the number of users, number of instances, time span, and the implemented device.

Licensed application

A software feature that requires a license to be used.

License enforcement

A mechanism that prevents a feature from being used without first obtaining a license.

Node-locked license

A license that can only be used on a particular device using the device’s unique host ID.

Host IDs

A unique chassis serial number that is specific to each device.

Software license claim certificate

A document entitling its rightful owner to use licensed features on one device as described in that document.

Product Authorization Key (PAK)

The PAK allows you to obtain a license key from one of the sites listed in the software license claim certificate document. After registering at the specified website, you will receive your license key file and installation instructions through e-mail.

License key file

A device-specific unique file that specifies the licensed features. Each file contains digital signatures to prevent tampering and modification. License keys are required to use a licensed feature. License keys are enforced within a specified time span.

Missing license

Once a license is installed, the license file can be deleted from bootflash as the license is copied to the internal file system. If the internal file system becomes corrupted or a supervisor module is replaced after you have installed a license, the license shows as missing although the feature continues to work. In this case, copy the license file (.lic) into bootflash and reinstall it as soon as possible.

Evaluation license

A temporary license. Evaluation licenses are time bound (valid for a specified number of days) and are tied to a host ID (device serial number).

Note:       Temporary licenses with an expiry date are available for evaluation and lab use purposes. They are strictly not allowed to be used in production. Please use a permanent or subscription license that has been purchased through Cisco for production purposes.

Permanent license

A license that is not time bound is called a permanent license.

Grace period

The amount of time the features in a license package can continue functioning without a license.

Support

If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchased support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/ support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html

 

Licensing Virtualization Support

On the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you install and manage licenses on the physical device in the default virtual device context (VDC 1). Licenses apply to features in all VDCs and Virtual Routing and Forwarding instances (VRFs) on the physical device. You do not need to obtain a separate license for each VDC or VRF. For more information on VDCs, see the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Virtual Device Context Configuration Guide.

 

Licensing High Availability

As with other Cisco NX-OS features, the licensing feature also maintains the following high-availability standards:

●   Installing any license in the device is a nondisruptive process.

●   Installing a license automatically saves a copy of permanent licenses to the chassis.

●   If you have enabled the grace period feature, enabling a licensed feature that does not have a license key starts a counter on the grace period. You then have 120 days to install the appropriate license keys, disable the use of that feature, or disable the grace period feature. If at the end of the 120-day grace period the device does not have a valid license key for the feature, the Cisco NX-OS software automatically disables the feature and removes the configuration from the device.

Note:       The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series and Cisco Nexus 3000 Series do not support the grace period feature.

Note:       The Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches support grace period on Cisco NX-OS Release 8.2(3) and earlier 8.x releases. From Cisco NX-OS Releases 8.2(4) and 8.4(1), Grace period is not supported on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches.

Note:       Some licenses, for example Cisco TrustSec for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series or Layer 3 Enterprise Services for the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series, do not have a grace period.

Devices with dual supervisors have the following additional high-availability features:

●   The license software runs on both supervisor modules and provides failover protection.

●   The license key file is mirrored on both supervisor modules. Even if both supervisor modules fail, the license file continues to function from the version that is available on the chassis.

 

Release History for Licensing

This table lists the release history for this feature.

Table 24.             Release History for Licensing

 

Smart Software Licensing for Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches

Smart Software Licensing Overview

Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what users can access. With Smart Licensing you get:

●   Easy Activation: Smart Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire organization—no more PAKs (Product Activation Keys).

●   Unified Management: My Cisco Entitlements (MCE) provides a complete view into all of your Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using.

●   License Flexibility: Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses as needed.

To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (software.cisco.com).

For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide.

 

Traditional Licensing Overview

Traditional licensing at Cisco is a legacy licensing model based on Product Activation Keys (PAK) and Unique Device Identifiers (UDI). On most Cisco NX-OS 7000 Series Switches, capacity needs are assessed prior to obtaining and installing a .tar file on switches to retrieve the UDI. Customers place an order for a PAK, and the PAK is emailed to the user. A combination of them. UDI and PAK is used to receive a license file that is installed in the boot directory of the switch to complete the installation of the Cisco NX-OS software.

The License Registration Portal (LRP) is available to help migrate traditional licenses to smart licenses. To access the LRP, obtain training, and manage licenses, go to http://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Home.

You can convert the traditional license to a smart license in the following ways:

●   Converting a Traditional License to a Smart License

●   Converting a Traditional License to a Smart License—CLI Version

 

Comparing Licensing Models

Two types of licensing models are used for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches—traditional licensing and Smart Software Licensing.

 

Table 25.             Comparison Between Traditional Licensing and Smart Software Licensing

 

Guidelines and Limitations for Smart Software Licensing

●   You cannot use both traditional licensing and Smart Software Licensing at the same time on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches.

●   Smart Software Licensing is not supported on Cisco N-Port Virtualizer (Cisco NPV) devices.

●   Port licenses will be in out-of-compliance state when you move from a traditional license to a Smart Software License.

 

Smart Accounts and Virtual Accounts

●   A Smart account provides you with a single location for all smart-account enabled products and licenses. It assists you in speedy procurement, deployment, and maintenance of your Cisco software.

If you are requesting a Smart account on behalf of an organization, you must have the authority to represent the requesting organization when creating a Smart account. After submitting the request, the request goes through an approval process before you are provided with access to your Smart account.

Go to http://software.cisco.com to learn about, set up, and manage a Smart account.

●   A virtual account is a subaccount within a Smart account. You can define the virtual account's structure based on organizational layout, business function, geography, or any defined hierarchy. Virtual accounts can be created and maintained only by Smart account administrators.

Smart Software Manager Overview

Smart Software Manager enables the management of software licenses and Smart accounts from a single portal. The interface allows you to activate your product, manage entitlements, renew, and upgrade software. An active Smart account is required to complete the registration process. To access the Smart Software Manager, go to http://www.cisco.com/web/ordering/smart-software-manager/index.html.

You must add the following information in the Smart Software Manager:

●   Trusted Unique Identifier—This is the device ID (Secure Unique Device Identifier (SUDI)).

●   Organizational Identifier—This is a numerical format to associate a product with a Smart account or Virtual account.

●   Licenses consumed—Allows the Smart Software Manager to understand the license type and the level of consumption.

 

Smart Call Home Overview

Note:       You must configure the DNS client and virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) before using Smart Call Home. For more information, see Configuring DNS Client and Configuring VRFs To Send Messages Using HTTP.

Use the Smart Call Home feature to communicate with the Smart Software Manager. Smart Call Home is enabled automatically when you configure Smart Software Licensing. On Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switches, Smart Software Licensing is not enabled by default.

The Smart Call Home (SCH) server runs on the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) satellite by default. You can access this service using the following URL:

https://<CSSM satllite IP>/Transportgateway/services/DeviceRequestHandler

Provide this URL as part of Smart Call Home configuration so that the device registration works with the CSSM satellite. For a sample configuration, see Configuration Examples for Smart Software Licensing.

Smart Call Home creates a CiscoTAC-1 profile. The associated Smart Call Home messages are sent to the Smart Software Manager only after enabling Smart Call Home. For switches in which Smart Software Licensing is enabled by default, Smart Call Home is also enabled by default, along with the associated messages.

To disable Smart Software Licensing, see Disabling Smart Software Licensing.

 

Smart Software Manager Satellite

Smart Software Manager satellite is a component of Smart Software Licensing and works in conjunction with the Smart Software Manager to manage software licenses. You can intelligently manage product licenses and get near real-time visibility and reports pertaining to the Cisco licenses you purchased and consumed.

If you do not want to manage your installed base using a direct Internet connection, the Smart Software Manager satellite will be installed on your premises to provide a subset of the Smart Software Manager functionality. You can download the satellite application, deploy it, and register it with the Smart Software Manager.

You can perform the following functions using the satellite application on your premises:

●   Activate or register a license

●   Get visibility to your company's licenses

●   Transfer licenses between company entities

To learn more about the Smart Software Manager satellite, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/smartsatellite.

 

Additional References for Smart Software Licensing

Table 26.             Technical Assistance

 

Feature History for Smart Software Licensing

Table 27.             Feature History

 

Smart Software Licensing for Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches

Smart Software Licensing Overview

Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what users can access. With Smart Licensing you get:

●   Easy Activation: Smart Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire organization—no more PAKs (Product Activation Keys).

●   Unified Management: My Cisco Entitlements (MCE) provides a complete view into all of your Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using.

●   License Flexibility: Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses as needed.

To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (software.cisco.com).

For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide.

 

Smart Software Manager

The Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) enables the management of software licenses and Smart accounts from a single portal. The interface allows you to activate your product and manage entitlements and prevent license violations, expiry of subscription-based licenses, and out-of-compliance licenses. An active Smart account is required to complete the registration process. To access the Smart Software Manager, go to http://www.cisco.com/web/ordering/smart-software-manager/index.html.

You must add the following information in the Smart Software Manager:

●   Trusted Unique Identifier—This is the device ID [Secure Unique Device Identifier (SUDI)].

●   Organizational Identifier—This is a numerical format to associate a product with a Smart account or Virtual account.

●   Licenses consumed—Allows the Smart Software Manager to understand the license type and the level of consumption.

 

Smart Software Manager On-Prem

Smart Software Manager On-Prem is a component of Smart Software Licensing and works in conjunction with the Smart Software Manager to manage software licenses. You can intelligently manage product licenses and get near real-time visibility and reports pertaining to the Cisco licenses you purchased and consumed.

If you do not want to manage your installed base using a direct Internet connection, Smart Software Manager On-Prem will be installed on your premises to provide a subset of the Smart Software Manager functionality. You can download the application, deploy it, and register it with the Smart Software Manager.

You can perform the following functions using the application on your premises:

●   Activate or register a license.

●   Get visibility to your company's licenses.

●   Transfer licenses between company entities.

To learn more about Smart Software Manager On-Prem, go to https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/buy/smart-accounts/software-manager.html.

 

Smart Accounts and Virtual Accounts

A Smart account provides you with a single location for all smart-account enabled products and licenses. It assists you in speedy procurement, deployment, and maintenance of your Cisco software.

If you are requesting a Smart account on behalf of an organization, you must have the authority to represent the requesting organization when creating a Smart account. After submitting the request, the request goes through an approval process before you are provided with access to your Smart account.

Go to http://software.cisco.com to learn about, set up, and manage a Smart account.

A virtual account is a subaccount within a Smart account. You can define the virtual account's structure based on organizational layout, business function, geography, or any defined hierarchy. Virtual accounts can be created and maintained only by Smart account administrators.

Smart License Workflow and States

The following illustration shows the workflow for Smart licenses:

Smart Software Licensing supports the following license states:

Table 28.             Smart License States

 

Smart Call Home Overview

Use the Smart Call Home feature to communicate with the Smart Software Manager. On Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series switches, Smart Software Licensing and Smart Call Home are not enabled by default.

The Smart Call Home (SCH) server runs on Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem by default. You can access this service using the following URL:

https://CSSM-On-Prem-IP /Transportgateway/services/DeviceRequestHandler

Provide this URL as part of the Smart Call Home configuration so that the device registration works with CSSM On-Prem. For a sample configuration, see the Configuration Examples for Smart Software Licensing.

Smart Call Home creates a CiscoTAC-1 profile. The associated Smart Call Home messages are sent to the Smart Software Manager only after enabling Smart Call Home.

Note:       You must configure the DNS client and virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) before using Smart Call Home. For more information, see Configuring DNS Client and Configuring VRFs to Send Messages.

 

Traditional Licensing Overview

Traditional licensing at Cisco is a legacy licensing model based on Product Activation Keys (PAKs) and Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs). On most Cisco NX-OS switches, capacity needs are assessed prior to obtaining and installing a .tar file on switches to retrieve the UDI. Customers place an order for a PAK, and the PAK is emailed to the user. The UDI and PAK are used to receive a license file that is installed in the boot directory of the switch to complete the installation of the Cisco NX-OS software.

 

Note:       Traditional license installation via Power On Auto Provisioning (POAP) ends with release 10.2(1).

The License Registration Portal (LRP) is available to help migrate traditional licenses to smart licenses. To access the LRP, obtain training, and manage licenses, go to http://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Home.

 

Comparing Licensing Models

Two types of licensing models are used for the Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches: traditional licensing and Smart Software Licensing.

Table 29.             Comparison Between Traditional Licensing and Smart Software Licensing

 

The licensing mode changes based on the configuration provided. If Smart Software Licensing is enabled, all license requests are passed to the CSSM. If Smart Software Licensing is disabled, all license requests are fulfilled based on the license files installed on the device.

 

Guidelines and Limitations for Smart Software Licensing

●   The smart license reservation command is not supported for Nexus 9000, although the command may still be found in old code.

●   If the switch has no connectivity to a CSSM server, the show running command may get stuck or may take up to 2 minutes to respond. We suggest that the CSSM server is always reachable when smart-licensing is enabled.

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(3), all Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series switches (except the Cisco Nexus 3016 and 3064 platform switches) support Smart Software Licensing.

●   You cannot use both traditional licensing and Smart Software Licensing at the same time.

●   The FC_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG license consumes the FC 48 ports entitlement tag regardless of the number of FC ports acquired (Cisco NX-OS 9.3(4) and earlier releases).

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(5), when a term license is reserved and its term has expired, the license is still shown as Authorized with the show license usage command. In CSSM, alerts will continue and any new licenses from the same pool added to the virtual account are assigned to the reservation.

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(5), disabling and enabling an installed feature when the license is in a “Not Authorized” state, the license no longer appears in the display of the license usage.

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(5), the conversion of a traditional license to a Smart License using DLC (Device Led Conversion) on Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series switches, fails when performing additional subsequent Device Led Conversions.

●   Converting a traditional license to a Smart License — DLC fails unless licenses are installed in traditional mode (Cisco NX-OS 9.3(5) and later releases)

●   After converting a traditional license to a Smart License — DLC on a (On-Prem) device, the device does not receive a pass/fail response from the On-Prem Server. Manual synchronization of the On-Prem Server to CSSM might be required to get the return response to the device. (Cisco NX-OS 9.3(5) and later releases)

●   Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 9.3(5), the conversion of a traditional license to a Smart License using DLC (Device Led Conversion) is not supported on Cisco Nexus 3408-S switches.

●   License Borrowing — When license borrowing is calculated, compliance is accomplished in the quickest way possible. Typically, this means that license borrowing is from its immediate parent.

●   An alternative is considered if no licenses are found to be eligible to be borrowed from the immediate parent. If during a subsequent call, a device is found not be in compliance, a recalculation for optimization is done. The trigger for a completely optimized pool is a device that is potentially receiving OOC.

 

Additional References for Smart Software Licensing

Table 30.             Technical Assistance

 

Smart Software Licensing using Policy for Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series Switches (from Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(1)F onwards)

Software Licensing using Policy (SLP) Overview

Smart Licensing Using Policy (SLP) is an enhanced version of Smart Licensing, the objective of which is to provide a licensing solution that does not interrupt the operations of your network and to enable a compliance relationship to account for the hardware and software licenses you purchase and use.  

SLP is supported starting with Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(1). The primary benefits of this enhanced licensing model are:

Seamless day-0 operations: After a license is ordered, no preliminary steps, such as registration or generation of keys, are required unless you use an export-controlled or enforced license. There are no export-controlled or enforced licenses on Cisco Nexus Switches, and product features can be configured on the device right-away.

Consistency in Cisco NX-OS: Devices that run Cisco NX-OS software have a uniform licensing experience.

Visibility and manageability: Tools, telemetry, and product tagging to know what in-use is.

Flexible, time series reporting to remain compliant: Easy reporting options are available, whether you are directly or indirectly connected to Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) or are in an air-gapped network.

To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (software.cisco.com).

For SLP configuration see the Cisco Smart Licensing Using Policy User Guide.

For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide.

 

Smart Software Manager (CSSM)

 

Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) is a portal that enables you to manage all your Cisco software licenses from a centralized location. CSSM helps you manage current requirements and review usage trends to plan for future license requirements.

You can access the CSSM Web UI at https://software.cisco.com. Navigate to Manage licenses link.

See the Supported Topologies section to know about the different ways in which you can connect to CSSM

In CSSM you can:

●   Create, manage, or view virtual accounts.

●   Create and manage Product Instance Registration Tokens.

●   Transfer licenses between virtual accounts or view licenses. • Transfer, remove, or view product instances.

●   Run reports against your virtual accounts.

●   Modify your email notification settings.

●   View overall account information.

Cisco Smart License Utility (CSLU)

 

Cisco Smart License Utility (CSLU) is a reporting utility that provides aggregate licensing workflows. This utility performs the following key functions:

●   Collects usage reports from the product instance and uploads these usage reports to the corresponding Smart Account or Virtual Account, online or offline, using files. Similarly, the RUM report ACK is collected online or offline and sent back to the product instance.

●   Sends authorization code requests to CSSM and receives authorization codes from CSSM, if applicable.

 

CSLU can be part of your implementation in the following ways:

●   Install the Windows application to use CSLU as a standalone tool that is connected to CSSM.

●   Install the Windows application to use CSLU as a standalone tool that is disconnected from CSSM. With this option, the required aggerated usage information is downloaded to a file and then uploaded to CSSM. This is suited for air-gapped networks.

Smart Software Manager On-Prem

 

Software Manager On-Prem (SSM On-Prem) is an asset manager, which works in conjunction with CSSM. It enables you to administer products and licenses on your premises instead of having to directly connect to CSSM.

For more information about SSM On-Prem, see Smart Software Manager On-Prem on the Software Download page.  

 

Smart Accounts and Virtual Accounts

A Smart account provides you with a single location for all smart-account enabled products and licenses. It assists you in speedy procurement, deployment, and maintenance of your Cisco software.

If you are requesting a Smart account on behalf of an organization, you must have the authority to represent the requesting organization when creating a Smart account. After submitting the request, the request goes through an approval process before you are provided with access to your Smart account.

Go to http://software.cisco.com to learn about, set up, and manage a Smart account.

A virtual account is a subaccount within a Smart account. You can define the virtual account's structure based on organizational layout, business function, geography, or any defined hierarchy. Virtual accounts can be created and maintained only by Smart account administrators.

Smart License using Policy Deployment Modes

The following figure illustrates the deployment modes of SLP.

 

 

 

Supported Deployment Topologies for SLP

 

Smart licensing using policy supports the following deployment topologies. These topologies can be selected by configuring the transport type after the upgrade. The default transport type will depend on the existing setup before migration.

●   Product instance connected to CSSM through CSLU. This is the default mode for new deployments and upgrades from PAK based licensing.

●   Product instance connected directly to CSSM

●   Product instance connected to CSLU and CSLU is not connected to CSSM. This is used for air-gapped networks. Aggregated usage report is downloaded from CSLU and uploaded to CSSM manually.

●   No connectivity to CSSM and no CSLU installed. (All communications are in the form of uploaded and downloaded files)

●   Connected to CSSM through (connected or disconnected) SSM On-Prem. (Instead of performing license management on cloud using CSSM, customers can do this locally using SSM On-Prem)

 

SLP Greenfield and Brownfield Deployment Workflow

 

From NX-OS 10.2.1 onwards, Smart License using Policy is the only supported way to manage licenses on the NX-OS platform.

When you purchase a new device, Cisco recommends providing your Smart Account and Virtual Account (SA/VA) information when placing an order to simplify licence management. Cisco will assign all purchases to the respective account. Once devices are delivered, customers can start using them right away and no device registration is required. The devices will periodically report license consumption to CSSM based on set policy. The standard policy is to report once every 365 days or within 90 days of any change in feature consumption.  

The following illustration shows the new deployment workflow for Smart license using Policy:

 

 

 

When you migrate to Smart Licensing using Policy, the product instance will continue to operate without any license changes. License reporting method is set based on the licensing model used before the upgrade.

When you migrate from older version of Smart Licensing (SL) to Smart Licensing using Policy (SLP), devices will continue to use CALL HOME transport type for reporting after the upgrade as well.

When you migrate from PAK based licenses to Smart Licensing using Policy (SLP), by default, device will look for a CSLU in the local environment to report license usage. These transport settings can be changed by running the command license smart transport {cslu | callhome | smart | off}.

For SLP configuration details, see Cisco Smart Licensing Using Policy User Guide, Release10.2(x).

Comparison between PAK-based Licensing and Smart License using Policy (SLP)

Table 31.             Comparison: PAK-Based Licensing and SLP

 

Comparison between Smart Licensing and Smart License using Policy (SLP)

Table 32.             Comparison: Smart Licensing and SLP

 

Guidelines and Limitations

●   CSLU-initiated communication/pull mode is not supported in Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(1).
Refer to ‘Guidelines and Limitations’ section in Cisco Smart Licensing Using Policy User Guide for more details.

 

Additional Documentation

 

Feature History for Smart Software Licensing using Policy

 

Legal Information

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