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. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
Cisco® Networking is your team’s bridge to an intent-based network. It is an open, extensible, software-driven portfolio that helps accelerate and simplify your enterprise network operations while lowering costs and reducing risk. Only Cisco provides a single-network fabric that is powered by deep intelligence and integrated security to deliver automation and assurance across your entire network organization at scale. Cisco Networking gives IT time back from time-consuming, repetitive network configuration tasks so you can focus on the innovation your business needs.
Cisco Catalyst software subscriptions provide customers with four key benefits:
● Investment protection of software purchases through software services-enabled license portability.
● Software suites that address typical customer use-case scenarios at an attractive price.
● Flexible licensing models to smoothly distribute customer’s software spending over time.
● Access to new technology from Cisco.
Table 1 outlines common IT management challenges and the ways that Cisco DNA software helps customers to address them.
Table 1. IT management challenges and Cisco Catalyst software benefits
| IT management challenges |
Cisco Catalyst software benefits |
| Shrinking IT budgets Budgets are shrinking while IT demands continue to accelerate. As the costs of IT and downtime skyrocket, companies need to balance shrinking budgets with easy-to-deploy networks that enhance operation efficiency. |
Deliver more value for your money Cisco Catalyst software is designed for typical customer use scenarios and is offered at a better-together price, making it easier and less expensive for you to deploy complete solutions. Increase investment protection Software services-enabled license portability lets your software licenses stay current through hardware upgrades and replacements at no additional cost. |
| Infrastructure inflexibility IT organizations lack an automated way to keep pace with changing business needs and demands for more resources. It often takes months or weeks to procure and provision a new network service. |
Enhance business agility Cisco Catalyst software delivers critical business solutions and provides you with the tools you need to deploy, maintain, and manage your software. |
| Lack of buying options Organizations need more options for buying software to improve their flexibility, reduce risk, and cut costs. |
Supplies flexible licensing models Evenly distribute your software spending over time with subscription-based and other flexible purchasing models. |
| Implementation obstacles Deploying software and implementing new use cases can often cause major disruptions in your current operations. |
Reduce risk Cisco’s technical and professional services provide the expertise, smart tools, and proven processes that reduce risk and downtime. |
| Excessive time and costs for maintenance The majority of your IT budget and most of your workloads are focused on routine maintenance, limiting your ability to innovate and grow your business. |
Accelerate ROI and time-to-value Optimize the performance of your networks to get the most from your technology investments. Accelerate your business outcomes with expert guidance from Cisco technical and professional services. |
Benefits of software subscriptions
Software subscriptions provide a number of benefits detailed here.
Cisco Catalyst software delivers an unbound network on an open and extensible architecture to help you navigate the digital journey. Benefits include lower initial costs, access to ongoing innovation, agility to respond more quickly to business needs, and better budget predictability. These 3-, 5-, and 7-year subscriptions include full Cisco Networking capabilities supported by Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD-Access) analytics, automation, and security. Cisco Catalyst subscription offers are categorized into two tiers: Catalyst Essentials and Catalyst Advantage.
To see a comprehensive list of the features within each subscription tier, view Switching feature matrix.
Cisco platforms supported by the Catalyst Advantage offer
Catalyst Advantage is available on the following Cisco Catalyst switches:
● Cisco Catalyst 9000 Series Switches (Cisco Catalyst 9300, 9400, 9500, and 9600 Series): These are Cisco’s leading stackable and modular enterprise switches. They are built for security, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud environments and are the next generation of the Industry’s most widely deployed switching platform.
● Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series Switches.
Table 2 lists feature sets for the Catalyst Advantage subscription offer.
Table 2. Feature sets for the Catalyst Advantage offer
|
|
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9200 Series |
| Optimized network deployments (multicast Domain Name System [mDNS] gateway) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Advanced automation (containers, Python, Cisco IOS® Embedded Event Manager, and autonomic networking infrastructure) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Advanced telemetry and visibility (Flexible NetFlow and Wireshark) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Optimized telemetry and visibility (Encapsulated Remote SPAN [ERSPAN], Cisco Application Visibility and Control, and NBAR2) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| High availability and resiliency (patching) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Advanced security (encrypted traffic analytics) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Day-0 network launch automation (Cisco network plug-and-play application, network settings, and device credentials) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Element management (discovery, inventory, topology, software image, licensing, and configuration management) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Element management (patching) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Network monitoring (Cisco Product Security Incident Response Team [PSIRT] compliance; End-of-Life [EoL] and End-of-Support [EoS] reporting; telemetry quotient; client 360; device 360; and top talkers, NetFlow, and streaming telemetry collection and correlation) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Static Quality-of-Service (QoS) configuration and monitoring (easy QoS applications) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Policy-based automation (SD-Access; group-based policy for access, application prioritization, monitoring, and path selection; and SD-Access with integrated wireless) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Network assurance and analytics (insights from analytics and machine learning for the network, clients, and applications that cover onboarding, connectivity, and performance) |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
ü |
| Cisco ThousandEyes Network and Application Synthetics* (Network performance metrics, dashboarding, visibility into app and service experience, end-to-end visibility across cloud and DC applications) |
|
|
ü |
ü |
|
Catalyst Advantage also includes ISE Advantage licenses. Quantity is dependent on switch model:
Table 3. ISE license quantities in Cisco Catalyst software subscription for Switching
| Eligible Product Families* |
Cisco Catalyst 9600 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9500 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9400 Series |
Cisco Catalyst 9300 Series |
| ISE quantity per Advantage license |
40 endpoint sessions for ISE |
10 endpoint sessions for ISE |
40 endpoint sessions for ISE |
10 endpoint sessions for ISE |
Note: ISE licenses are not available for Catalyst 9200 series.
Achieve full value for your SD-Access investment with consultative expertise from Cisco and our partners. Advanced Services for planning, designing, implementing, and managing your next-generation network deliver industry-leading methodology, tools, and best practices designed to help you accelerate network performance and transformation. For more information about Cisco Advanced Services for enterprise networking, contact your local representative or visit https://www.cisco.com/go/enservices.
Your Cisco Catalyst software subscription includes base product-level support for software and hardware, helping you streamline purchasing, management, entitlement, and renewals for both software licenses and support. The base support included in your subscription offers:
● 24x7 access to the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) for help with your Cisco Catalyst Switching software, Catalyst 9000 Switches, and iOS.
● Software and iOS updates.
● Access to Smart Net Portal and My Cisco Entitlements, which provide digital tools to manage support cases, provide views of assets and support coverage, and delivers applicable security advisories and field notices.
● A four-hour TAC response objective for severity 1 and 2 service requests.
● A next business day TAC response objective for severity 3 and 4 service requests.
Note that hardware replacements are accessed via the Catalyst 9000 Extended Lifetime Warranty (E-LLW).
Because the network is the cornerstone your IT environment, we can help you accelerate adoption and optimization for your Cisco network security, automation, and assurance capabilities with Cisco Success Tracks. This service offers a combination of Cisco Solution Support (including eight RMA options), expert resources, insights and analytics, and learning as a packaged offer delivered through the Cisco CX Cloud unified digital platform. Today, our customers using Cisco Success Tracks for their enterprise network are achieving:
● 49% more efficient IT teams through 24/7 access to support across software, hardware, and any third-party technology providers by a Cisco primary point of contact engineer.
● 96% improvement in IT management efficiency through CX Cloud unified visibility, expert resources, insights and analytics, and contextual learning.
● 90% reduction in hours to analyze advisories and mitigation options through proactive security vulnerability alerts.
● Up to 55% faster complex issue resolution than single product-focused support.
Flexible payment solutions to help you achieve your objectives
Cisco Capital makes it easier to get the right technology to achieve your objectives, enable business transformation and help you stay competitive. We can help you reduce the total cost of ownership, conserve capital, and accelerate growth. In more than 100 countries, our flexible payment solutions can help you acquire hardware, software, services and complementary third-party equipment in easy, predictable payments. Learn more.
To learn more about how Cisco DNA Software can help your organization, please contact your account manager or authorized reseller.
| New or revised topic |
Described in |
Date |
| Updates to Cisco Catalyst Software subscriptions |
Catalyst software benefits and Services sections |
August 29, 2023 |