Simplify your network operations with Cisco’s cloud monitoring for Catalyst. Now you can support the most challenging use cases in a simple, cloud-native way using your Cisco Catalyst™ infrastructure and the Cisco® Meraki® dashboard. This FAQ focuses on questions related to Meraki cloud monitoring of Cisco Catalyst hardware. If you have questions about cloud management of Cisco Catalyst hardware, refer to the Cisco Cloud Management for Catalyst FAQ, or for questions about on-premises network management, refer to the Cisco Catalyst Center FAQ.
Introduction
Q. What is the difference between cloud management and cloud monitoring for Cisco Catalyst hardware?
A. In June 2022, Cisco introduced cloud management for Catalyst. With cloud management, network managers can manage select Catalyst devices using Meraki management mode, which uses the Meraki dashboard to manage the device from the cloud. Capabilities are being introduced over time, starting with cloud monitoring and management of select Catalyst switches and cloud management of select Wi-Fi 6E Catalyst access points.
Cloud management for Catalyst: Provides extended network visibility; device, client, and traffic observability and insights; issue diagnosis; and troubleshooting. Added capabilities include automation, zero-trust security, and programmability through APIs and ecosystem integration.
Cloud monitoring for Catalyst: Provides comprehensive network visibility; device, client, and traffic observability and insights; issue diagnosis; and troubleshooting for switches, wireless controllers, and access points.
Q. What is cloud monitoring for Catalyst?
A. Cloud monitoring for Catalyst provides an integrated view of the Catalyst 9000 switching family, and now Catalyst access points and Catalyst 9800 Series wireless controllers. Supported devices are seamlessly integrated into the Meraki dashboard experience.
Q. Which Catalyst products are included in the cloud monitoring for Catalyst offer?
A. The following Catalyst 9000 switches and access points are included in the cloud monitoring for Catalyst offer:
● Cloud monitoring for Catalyst switching: Catalyst 9200, 9300, and 9500 Series switches.
● Cloud monitoring for Catalyst access points: Catalyst 9162, 9164, and 9166 Series, 9166D1, and outdoor 9163E access points; Catalyst 9105, 9115, 9117, 9120, 9124, 9130, and 9136 Series access points; and Aironet® 2800, 3800, and 4800 Series access points.
● Additional Catalyst 9000 switches and access points will be added to the offer over time.
Q. Which products are not included in the cloud monitoring for Catalyst offer?
A. Cisco network devices that will not be monitored by Meraki management mode include:
● Switches: Catalyst 2000, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Series switches; Cisco Industrial Ethernet switches.
● Routers: Cisco routers and edge platforms.
Cloud monitoring for Catalyst
Q. Which Catalyst devices are currently supported for cloud monitoring?
A. The following switches are supported: Catalyst 9200 and 9200L; Catalyst 9300, 9300L, 9300LM, and 9300X; and Catalyst 9500 Series. Cloud monitoring is now also available for Catalyst wireless access points and the 9800 Series wireless controllers.
Q. Can I use the Meraki dashboard with Catalyst devices if I do not have Meraki gear?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I simultaneously monitor a Catalyst switch with Meraki management mode and Cisco DNA management mode?
A. No. You must choose to monitor the device with either Meraki management mode or on-premises Cisco DNA management mode. You cannot monitor one device with both management modes at the same time.
Q. What firmware is required for cloud monitoring?
A. Meraki cloud monitoring for Catalyst switches is supported in Cisco IOS® XE Software Release 17.3 through 17.7. For Catalyst wireless devices, Cisco IOS® XE Software Release 17.12.3 is the first supported released for cloud monitoring.
Q. What licensing is required for cloud monitoring?
A. An active
Cisco DNA Software subscription or Cisco DNA Software subscription, either Cisco DNA Essentials or Cisco DNA Advantage, is required. Cisco DNA Advantage licenses include additional functionality of client traffic analytics.
Q. Do I have to reimage every Catalyst device to shift to Meraki dashboard monitoring if I use the Meraki software license?
A. No. You do not need to reimage when onboarding eligible Catalyst devices onto Meraki dashboard for cloud monitoring.
Q. Will I still be able to access the Command- Line Interface (CLI) on my Catalyst switch if pull it into the Meraki dashboard?
A. If the device is enrolled only in cloud monitoring, yes. With access to the CLI, you can continue to use the advanced features available with Cisco IOS XE Software while just in monitoring mode. If the switch is migrated to full cloud management, it becomes a Meraki switch, so you will not be able to access the CLI.
Q. Can I upgrade Catalyst switches from the Meraki dashboard when in monitor-only mode?
A. No. For monitored devices, continue to use your existing tools to manage your device software.
Q. How do I stay up to date on software when using cloud monitoring?
A. Use your existing tools to manage software on your Catalyst devices.
Q. Is there a difference between what Cisco Catalyst Center provides with monitoring and assurance of a Catalyst device versus what the Meraki dashboard can provide?
A. Yes, there are differences; however,
many use cases can be handled with the Meraki dashboard.
Q. Where do I get support if I have an issue when onboarding a device into cloud monitoring?
A. Contact
Meraki Support for issues with the onboarding process. If you open a case with the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC), the TAC team will connect you to the right resources to assist you.
Q. Where do I get support if I have an issue using cloud management and monitoring?
A. If the issue is specifically with the cloud monitoring capability, support will be provided by Meraki Support. If the issue is with device functionality or Cisco IOS XE capabilities, support will be provided by Cisco TAC. In either situation, opening a case with your support organization will cause it to be routed appropriately.
Q. When in monitoring mode, why is there a “cycle port” tool for my Catalyst switches? Doesn’t that affect the device configuration?
A. The goal of cloud monitoring is to provide visibility, observability, and troubleshooting for Catalyst networks through the cloud. Common troubleshooting actions that touch the configuration may be included in that. In the case of the cycle port tool, while it does temporarily affect the configuration of the port, we consider it to be a troubleshooting operation rather than a configuration operation. This is because the configuration is the same before and after you perform the port cycle.
Q. Will I see NetFlow or IPFIX data within the Meraki dashboard when using cloud monitoring?
A. Yes, if you have a Cisco DNA Advantage license on your device.
Q. If my Catalyst 9300 is running the Cisco ThousandEyes agent, will I lose that capability when I move to Meraki cloud monitoring?
A. No, you will not lose this capability. The Catalyst switch has an embedded agent that communicates directly with the ThousandEyes dashboard regardless of management mode. Note that application hosting is currently not supported in Meraki management mode.
Licensing and warranty
Q. What are the licensing requirements for using cloud monitoring?
A. For cloud monitoring, an active Cisco DNA Essentials or Advantage license is required.
Q. For cloud monitoring, are there any differences between Cisco DNA Essentials and Advantage functionality for cloud monitoring?
A. Yes, traffic and application visibility will be available only on switches with a Cisco DNA Advantage license.
Q. For cloud monitoring, I have an active Cisco DNA Essentials or Advantage license. What should I do to get access to Meraki cloud monitoring?
Q. Is the same software used on the access point across the different management modes?
A. No. For Meraki management mode, the access point uses Meraki firmware. For Cisco DNA management mode, the access point uses Cisco IOS XE Software. The access point will boot up the appropriate software based on the chosen management mode.
Q. What happens to software support?
A. For software-specific support, please follow the respective guidelines for Meraki firmware and Cisco IOS XE.
Q. How will support/TAC work?
A. Customers using access points in Meraki management mode should call Meraki support. A valid Meraki license is needed for support. Customers using access points in Cisco DNA management mode should call Cisco TAC for support. A valid Cisco DNA Software license/ support agreement is needed.
Q. Will I be able to use the same USB applications across management modes?
A. The access points use different software, depending on the chosen management mode; hence the applications supported will be aligned with the software support. Please refer to the Meraki firmware and Cisco IOS XE documentation for more information.
Q. Will Intelligent Capture be supported in Meraki management mode?
A. No. Intelligent Capture is not supported in Meraki management mode.
Q. How will dual 5 GHz work on these access points?
A. On the Catalyst 9166I access points, the dual 5-GHz architecture is like that of the Meraki MR57. You can use the low band on 5-GHz radio 1 and the high band on 5-GHz radio 2. You will not have access to the full 5-GHz spectrum on both 5-GHz radios. This architecture is different from the dual 5-GHz architecture on the Catalyst 9136 Series access points, which is the micro/ macro architecture.
Migrating access points between management modes
Q. Can I migrate an access point from Cisco DNA management mode to Meraki management mode and vice versa if I need to change my approach?
A. Yes, but this migration is allowed only on hardware designed for this flexibility, specifically the Catalyst 9166, 9166D1, 9164, 9162, and outdoor 9163E access points. Software licensing will also need to be adjusted if the management mode is changed.
Q. How do I migrate from Cisco DNA management mode to Meraki management mode?
A. Migrate an access point from Cisco DNA management mode to Meraki management mode via the Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller. We recommend using the WebUI/GUI.
Q. How do I migrate my access point’s licensing from Cisco DNA management mode to Meraki management mode?
A. A qualified promotion will be available for customers with existing Cisco DNA Software licensing to receive the equivalent Meraki license at no cost, without a commercial transaction. If you are migrating to a Meraki Advanced license and you are using Cisco Umbrella®, please refer to the Meraki documentation on setting up manual integration of Cisco Umbrella with the Advanced license.
Q. How do I migrate from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode?
A. Contact Meraki Support to migrate devices from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode. For a device to be migrated, the access point should be assigned to a network of an organization in good standing with appropriate licenses. Start the license conversion process after converting the access points.
Q. How do I migrate my access point and licensing from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode?
A. A
trade-in model will be available for you to get credit that can be used to buy Cisco DNA Software licenses.
Q. How will licensing work when migrating between management modes?
A. Migrating from Cisco DNA management mode to Meraki management mode will require an active Cisco DNA Software subscription and support contract for the access point. You will receive an equivalent Meraki license for the remaining term of the Cisco DNA Software subscription. Conversion from Meraki to Cisco DNA management mode will require a debook and rebook, with a new Cisco DNA Software license purchase required. Cisco DNA Essentials customers will receive Meraki Enterprise, and Cisco DNA Advantage or Premier customers will receive Meraki Advanced Security. Enterprise Agreement (EA) customers can use value shift to convert Cisco DNA Software entitlements to Meraki.
Q. Can I use embedded/environmental sensors in Meraki management mode?
A. No. The embedded/environmental sensors are included only in the Catalyst 9166I Access Point and will not be supported in Meraki management mode. Embedded/environmental sensors are supported in Cisco DNA management mode.
Q. Should I change my RF design when migrating to a different mode?
A. The RF patterns on the access points should be the same across modes, but it is always recommended that you evaluate the design and features being used to ensure that no changes are needed for the design.
Q. How will regulatory domain enforcement work when migrating access points?
A. Cisco DNA management mode: For any product ID ending in –A, –B, –E, –F, –Q, –R, – Z, or –ROW, regulatory domain enforcement is unchanged. For –MR product IDs that are migrated, the access point will retain the country information from the Meraki dashboard and use it to determine the correct regulatory domain on the Catalyst 9800 Series Wireless Controller.
Meraki management mode: The access points will use the regulatory domain setting in the dashboard when converting from Meraki management mode to Cisco DNA management mode. If there is a regulatory domain mismatch, the migration will be blocked until the mismatch is resolved.
Resources
For more information:
● Review the benefits of cloud-managed networking
● Explore Catalyst cloud monitoring and cloud management in the Meraki instant demo
● Read the Getting started: Cisco Catalyst 9300 with Meraki Dashboard
● Read the Catalyst 9300-M Series Installation Guide
● Read the Meraki quick start guide: Getting started with cloud monitoring for Catalyst
● Read the Meraki Cloud Monitoring Overview and FAQ for Catalyst switching
● Read product data sheets:
◦ Catalyst 9200 Series switches
◦ Catalyst 9300 Series switches
◦ Catalyst 9500 Series switches
◦ Catalyst 9100 access points
◦ Cisco DNA Center
◦ Cisco DNA Software for Switching
◦ Cisco DNA Software for Wireless
● Contact your sales account manager