Use the Cisco Product License Registration portal at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​go/​license to perform these licensing operations:

• Get a license through product authorization key (PAK) registration
• Register for a return merchandise authorization (RMA) replacement license
• Manage a license (look up a license and upload a rehost ticket)
• Migrate a license

You must have a Cisco.com account before you can access the portal.

Interaction with the Cisco Product License Registration portals might require a PAK, which is provided when you order and purchase the right to use a feature set for a particular platform. The PAK serves as a receipt and is an important component in the process to obtain and upgrade a license.

You can also purchase a bulk PAK to fulfill multiple licenses on a device.

Cisco software performs license verification checks by comparing a stored unique device identifier (UDI)--a unique and unchangeable identifier assigned to all Cisco hardware devices--with the UDI of the device.

The UDI has two main components: the product ID (PID) and the serial number (SN). For most Cisco hardware devices, the UDI is printed on a label located on the back of the device and can be displayed by using the show license udi command.

Note	When registering a license, you must use the correct UDI.

Cisco software licensing uses a system of validation keys to provide a simple mechanism for deploying new feature sets that offers Cisco customers increased functionality for upgrading and maintaining their software.

Some feature sets on a Cisco device might need the license key before they can be enabled. You obtain the license key by using the Cisco licensing portal. The portal issues a license key for a specific Cisco software feature set, and the license is locked to the device UDI. (This is known as a node-locked license.)

The Cisco License Manager, a client/server-based application that is available free to Cisco customers, can automatically discover Cisco devices on a network and can simplify the task of collecting the license key.

For more information, see the User Guide for Cisco License Manager at this URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​ps7138/​products_​user_​guide_​list.html .

As part of the licensing process, you must accept terms and conditions set forth in the end-user license agreement. You implicitly accept the agreement when you first use a new device. However, you must explicitly accept the agreement before a feature set can be activated for evaluation and extension temporary licenses.

You can read the terms and conditions of the end-user license agreement at this URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​docs/​general/​warranty/​English/​EU1KEN_​.html .

The Cisco IOS universal image contains all fixed feature images in one image. You can access the required functionality based on the license installed on the device. A higher-level feature-set license inherits the content of the lower-level feature sets it contains. The figure below shows an example of the feature sets and fixed feature images that can make the universal image.

Figure 1. Example of Universal Image Components

A platform can have a single universal image, which is a superset of all fixed feature images. Fixed feature images are an older packaging form in which the image contains only part of a systems capabilities. The fixed feature images supported by platform are predetermined and vary between platforms. A particular fixed feature image functionality is enabled based on license availability.

The software packaging simplifies the image selection process by consolidating the total number of packages and by using consistent package names across all hardware products.

The image-based license is used to help bring up all the subsystems that correspond to the image-level license that you purchase. Image licenses are enforced only during boot time.

The feature sets available for upgrading Cisco devices are listed on the Cisco IOS Software Packaging web page at this URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​sw/​iosswrel/​ps5460/​index.html.

Once the image-based license is used and the appropriate subsystems are activated, individual feature licenses are used to activate individual features.

License keys enable or disable individual features. Features check for their licenses before enabling themselves and adjust their behavior based on the following:

• Activation of a permanent license
• Expiration of a time-limited evaluation license
• Validity of a subscription license

Permanent licenses are perpetual; that is, no usage period is associated with them. Once permanent licenses are installed, they provide all the permissions needed to access features in the software image. All permanent licenses are node locked and validated by the Cisco licensing infrastructure during software installation. Once a permanent license is installed, you do not need to upgrade for subsequent releases.

Cisco manufacturing preinstalls the appropriate permanent license on the ordered device for the purchased feature set. No customer interaction with the software activation processes is required to enable a license on new hardware.

Temporary licenses are limited to a specific usage period (for example, 60 days). You must accept the end-user license agreement before the temporary licenses can be activated.

There are three types of temporary licenses: those embedded in Cisco images, evaluation licenses obtained from the Cisco Product License Registration portal, and extension licenses that are obtained from the Cisco Technical Assistant Center (TAC).

Although the embedded license can also be used for evaluation purposes, we recommend that you use the embedded license for emergency use only and obtain an evaluation license from the self-serve Cisco Product Licensing Registration portal.

These sections further define the types of temporary licenses:

Feature-based licenses are either uncounted licenses or counted licenses. Uncounted licenses do not have any count. Counted licenses have an attribute to fulfill for a certain number of counts. In other words, a count is associated with them that indicates the instances of that feature available for use in the system.

The subscription license provides software enforcement for licensed features for a calendar period.

These node-locked license types are supported in a subscription license:

• Evaluation subscription license
• Extension subscription license
• Paid subscription license

The figure below shows the overall license work flow for manufacturing preinstalled licenses.

Figure 2. Manufacturing Preinstalled License Work Flow

The work flow for manufacturing preinstalled licensing involves these steps:

1. You place an order for a Cisco device through the Cisco sales ordering tool.
2. Manufacturing information technology systems pick up the order information and build the device. Manufacturing also retrieves a license key for the device being assembled by contacting a license server and then installing the code on the device. The device is shipped to you.
3. You install and configure the device, and place the device in production. There is no requirement to activate or register the software prior to use. A new device is ready for deployment upon receipt.

Cisco License Manager transparently interacts with the Cisco Product Licensing Registration portal for many devices. With the Cisco License Manager application deployed, you can automate many of the steps for upgrading and registering software licenses. For example, you can enter the PAK and select the device on which to install the license.

For a network-wide deployment, the Cisco License Manager can automate all license-related work flows by securely communicating to the licensing back-end fulfillment systems at Cisco.com and by deploying the obtained licenses to managed devices on a network-wide basis. The application also keeps an inventory of deployed licenses and generates license reports.

The figure below shows the license upgrade work flow for automated upgrades through Cisco License Manager.

Figure 3. License Upgrade Work Flow for Automated Upgrades through Cisco License Manager

The workflow for license upgrades for automated license transfers involves these steps:

1. Cisco License Manager identifies the source and destination devices and stock keeping units (SKUs) to transfer.
2. Cisco License Manager automatically determines the device credentials of the source device.
3. Cisco License Manager automatically communicates with Cisco.com to obtain the permissions ticket, which is used to start the rehost process. It applies the permissions ticket to the source device to obtain the rehost ticket.
4. Cisco License Manager automatically sends the rehost ticket along with the destination device UDI to automatically obtain the license keys from the Cisco Product Licensing Registration portal.
5. Cisco License Manager automatically installs the license key on the destination device.

For more information, see the User Guide for Cisco License Manager at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​en/​US/​products/​ps7138/​products_​user_​guide_​list.html.

You install the license by using Cisco EXEC commands after receiving your license key electronically through e-mail or through paper and mail delivery.

The figure below shows the license upgrade process work flow for manual license fulfillment.

Figure 4. License Upgrade Work Flow for Manual License Fulfillment

The license upgrade process work flow for manual license fulfillment involves these steps:

1. You purchase the required PAKs for the desired type of license. Some licenses do not require a PAK, but they might need a contract instead.
2. You obtain the UDI from the device.
3. You enter the UDI and PAK into the Cisco Product License Registration portal. If it is a contract license, follow the links to non-PAK-based licenses and submit the UDI of the device.
4. The portal retrieves the SKUs associated with the PAK. You then select the SKU and enter the UDI, a unique and unchangeable identifier of the device where the license should be installed. A license key is then e-mailed to you, and you use that key to install the license.
5. You install the license file returned from the license portal to the device by using the CLI.

Cisco supports two scenarios to transfer licenses between devices:

1. The first scenario has both the source and destination devices active and functional. In this scenario, the license is revoked on the source device, and a new permanent license is issued for the destination device.
2. The second is a failure scenario in which one of the devices is unavailable. In this scenario, the license from the failed device is transferred to the RMA or to the replaced device by using the RMA License Transfer process on the Cisco Product License Registration portal.

These scenarios are described in the following sections: