Understanding the world of Cisco SD-WAN and Routing software subscriptions
Q. What are the highlights of Cisco DNA for SD-WAN and Routing software subscriptions?
A. As part of the intent-based networking journey, Cisco is strengthening its SD-WAN and Routing software portfolio with the following new capabilities:
● Advanced security features that deliver the right security in the right place at the right time.
● Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) optimization features that make Microsoft Office 365 run faster.
● Unified access security and multifactor authentication.
Q. What customer challenges does intent-based networking for the WAN address?
A. The demands on the network are growing exponentially. Mobile, cloud, and IoT trends bring increased complexity, and the scale and range of security threats bring additional management difficulty. In the face of these demands, the WAN is struggling to keep up, leading to customer pain points such as poor user experience, operational complexities, and inability to secure the network edge.
By extending intent-based networking to the WAN, Cisco is helping customers solve these challenges. We bring transport independence, management, analytics and assurance, network services, and endpoint flexibility together into a single solution.
Q. What benefits do customers experience from these SD-WAN and Routing subscription offers?
A. The new licensing offers bring these customer benefits:
● Latest innovations through simple subscription tiers: Simplicity in purchasing and using the Cisco DNA Essentials or Cisco DNA Advantage software suites.
● Management flexibility: Choice of cloud or on-premises management.
● Availability across the routing stack: Across the Cisco® ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers, Cisco 1000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR 1000) and 4000 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR 4000), Cisco Cloud Services Router 1000V (CSR 1000V), Cisco 5000 Series Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS 5000), Cisco vEdge Routers, and the new Cisco Catalyst™ 8000 Edge Platforms Family.
● Software license portability: Between generations of hardware and between product families (for example, vEdge to ISR or across ISR platforms); customers have the ability to renew and scale what they want, when they want.
About Cisco SD-WAN software subscription offers
Offer structure
Q. What are the Cisco DNA subscription offers in SD-WAN and Routing?
A. The subscription licensing offers in SD-WAN and Routing are Cisco DNA Essentials and Cisco DNA Advantage. There are options for 3-, 5- and 7-year terms.
Q. What is the top-line view of the Cisco DNA subscription offers for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. At a high level, the offers are as follows:
Cisco DNA Essentials offers:
● A maximum of 10 User VPNs + 1 Management VPN.
● Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager for centralized management (cloud or on-premises).
● Flexible topology (hub and spoke, partial mesh, full mesh).
● Application-based policies (including application-aware routing policies).
● Essential Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN security services, including:
◦ Layer 3/Layer 4 application-aware firewall.
◦ Snort® Intrusion Prevention System/ Intrusion Detection System (IPS/IDS) with Talos® signature updates.
◦ URL filtering.
◦ Cisco Secure Endpoint (Formerly AMP Endpoints).
◦ Cisco Umbrella® cloud-app discovery.
◦ SD-WAN Application Intelligence Engine (SAIE).
● Essential cloud networking:
◦ Multicloud: Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure.
◦ SaaS: All applications.
● DNS monitoring and connector for Cisco Umbrella.
● Basic path optimization capabilities, including Forward Error Correction (FEC).
● Dynamic routing protocols (Open Shortest First [OSPF]/Border Gateway Protocol [BGP]).
Cisco DNA Advantage adds:
● Unlimited segmentation.
● Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics.
● Predictive Path Recommendations (PPR), powered by ThousandEyes WAN Insights.
● Advanced Cloud OnRamp for Multicloud and SaaS (all applications and telemetry).
● Automated service stitching.
Catalyst Routing Essentials
The Catalyst Routing Essentials license is for customers that are not yet ready to, or have no desire to, migrate into a controller-based SD-WAN environment. The Catalyst Routing Essentials license comes with feature entitlements that will accommodate most regular routing use cases covered by Cisco’s IP Base licenses plus some important additions. The Catalyst Routing Essential subscription package includes the following features:
● All entitlements from Cisco IP Base licenses.
● Point-2-Point IPSec with HSEC for branches requiring secure connection to cloud based security services and for MACSEC use cases.
● Application-based Firewall to meet today’s evolving branch security.
● On-Premise based SD-Routing capabilities enabling customers to use Catalyst SD-WAN manager for management, configuration and troubleshooting of the CPE fleet.
● Elimination of bandwidth selection. Throughput capability for IP-CEF and Crypto traffic up to device capability.
Changes to the offer
August 2024
Q. What has changed in Cisco DNA Subscriptions for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Cisco has made two changes in its software offering for SD-WAN and Routing. First, the Cisco DNA Premier for SD-WAN and Routing tier has been discontinued effective immediately. Second, Catalyst Routing Essentials, a new software subscription for Routing, has been launched.
Q. What is Catalyst Routing Essentials?
A. The Catalyst Routing Essentials license is for customers that are not yet ready to, or have no desire to, migrate into a controller-based SD-WAN environment. The Catalyst Routing Essentials license comes with feature entitlements that will accommodate most regular routing use cases covered by Cisco’s IP Base licenses plus some important additions. The Catalyst Routing Essential subscription package includes the following features:
● Point-2-Point IPSec with HSEC for branches requiring secure connection to cloud based security services and for MACSEC use cases.
● Application-based Firewall to meet today’s evolving branch security.
● On-Premise based SD-Routing capabilities enabling customers to use Catalyst SD-WAN manager for management, configuration and troubleshooting of the CPE fleet.
● Elimination of bandwidth selection. Throughput capability for IP-CEF and Crypto traffic up to device capability.
Catalyst Routing Essentials is intended for those customers looking to do standard routing deployments for basic Secure branch connectivity. A typical deployment would be as a CPE/CE-router in a private or SP managed IP-MPLS WAN.
Q. Does Catalyst Routing Essentials include an entitlement for Catalyst SD-WAN?
A. The Catalyst Routing Essentials license is for customers that are not yet ready to, or have no desire to, migrate into a controller- based SD-WAN environment. Therefore, no Catalyst SD-WAN entitlement is included with Catalyst Routing Essentials. If the requirement is to start with Routing and migrate to SD-WAN, either Cisco DNA Essentials or Cisco DNA Advantage would be the best choice.
Q. How else does a Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription differ from a Cisco DNA for SD-WAN and Routing Subscription?
A. There are several points of distinction. A Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription:
● Is only available on Cisco Catalyst 8200 and 8300 Platform Family devices. No other devices are compatible at this time.
● Is only available as a 7 year subscription.
● Does not include a perpetual license of any kind.
● Cannot be purchased in a Cisco Enterprise Agreement or in a MSLA Buying program.
Q. What support is included at no additional cost with the Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription?
A. Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription licenses include base software-level support ONLY for the management software functionality enabled through Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager or Cisco Catalyst Center. The included base software-level support does NOT cover the support for device software and features.
Support for all device software and features, including support for the underlying hardware, upgrades, and updates for the Cisco IOS XE-related network stack will require the additional purchase of either Smart Net Total Care, Solution Support, or Success Tracks.
November 2023
Q. What has changed in Cisco DNA Subscriptions for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Beginning in November, Cisco DNA Essentials now permits a maximum of 10 User VPNs + 1 Management VPN.
Q. What is a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Cloud license in relation to a Cisco DNA Subscription for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. When you purchase a Cisco DNA Subscription for SD-WAN and Routing, you must specify whether your Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN controllers will be:
● Cisco-hosted (Complimentary, Shared, Dedicated, Multi-tenant) or Cisco cloud-delivered; or
● On-Premise.
If you select Cisco-hosted or Cisco cloud-delivered, you will also receive a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Cloud license which enables your right-to-use the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN solution only in the cloud.
Q. What is a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN On-Premise license in relation to a Cisco DNA Subscription for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. When you purchase a Cisco DNA Subscription for SD-WAN and Routing, you must specify whether your Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN controllers will be:
● Cisco-hosted (Complimentary, Shared, Dedicated, Multi-tenant) or Cisco cloud-delivered; or
● On-Premise.
If you select On-Premise, you will also receive a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN On-Premise license which enables your right-to-use the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN solution only On-Premise.
Catalyst 8000 Edge Platform Family offer structure
Q. Do the Cisco Catalyst 8300 and 8500 Series Edge Platforms require a Cisco DNA subscription?
A. Yes, the Cisco Catalyst 8300 and 8500 Series Edge Platforms require Cisco DNA subscription-based licensing.
Q. Is Cisco DNA Essentials available on the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms?
A. No. Only Cisco DNA Advantage is supported the Cisco Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms.
Q. What Cisco DNA subscriptions are offered the Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C?
A. Cisco DNA Advantage is the only subscription supported on the Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C.
Q. What bandwidth tiers that are available on the Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C?
A. There are two new bandwidth tiers developed specifically for the performance capability of the Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C. They are as follows:
Tier 4 (WAN traffic): IPsec throughput is throttled to 25-Gbps full duplex, 50-Gbps aggregate.
Tier 5 (WAN traffic): IPsec throughput is unthrottled/unenforced with 50-Gbps full duplex, 100-Gbps aggregate.
Upgrade and migration
Q. What is the investment protection for customers who already have Cisco DNA software?
A. Customers with an active subscription are entitled to access to innovation in the subscription tier owned.
Q. Can the customer upgrade the bandwidth in the middle of the subscription term?
A. Yes. The customer can upgrade the bandwidth in the middle of the subscription term. See the table below for details.
Table 1. Cisco DNA bandwidth upgrades
| Use case |
Migration credit(s) |
| Upgrade from one bandwidth to higher bandwidth on the same device |
Bandwidth upgrade within the same tier |
Customers get 100% credit on the remaining value of their current subscription |
| Bandwidth upgrade combined with tier upgrade |
Customers get 100% credit on the remaining value of their current subscription |
Q. Can the customer upgrade the Cisco DNA tiers in the middle of the subscription term?
A. Yes. The customer can upgrade the Cisco DNA tiers in the middle of the subscription term. See the table below for details.
Table 2. Cisco DNA tier upgrades
| Use case |
Migration credit(s) |
| Upgrade Cisco DNA tier |
Upgrade from Cisco DNA Essentials to Cisco DNA Advantage |
Customers get 100% credit on the remaining value of their current subscription |
Platforms supported by Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
Q. What is the latest software release version for the Cisco IOS
® XE SD-WAN image supported on the Cisco 1000 and 4000 Series ISRs, ASR 1000 Series, 5000 Series ENCS platforms, and Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family?
About routing software subscription offers
Offer structure
Q. What option do customers have if they are looking for a non-SD-WAN solution?
A. Customers have the following options:
Option 1: Get Cisco DNA software on supported platforms and manage it via Cisco Catalyst Center.
Option 2: Get Catalyst Routing Essentials.
Q. What is the top-line view of the non-SD-WAN Cisco DNA subscription offer?
Purchasing Cisco DNA for SD-WAN and Routing
Q. How does a customer choose an optimal SD-WAN and Routing solution?
A. The customer can consider these five steps:
● Step 1: Identify the use case.
● Step 2: Select the bandwidth.
● Step 3: Pick the license term.
● Step 4: Choose on-premises or cloud managed.
● Step 5: Determine a platform for future scale.
Q. What purchase options do I have regarding bandwidth for Cisco DNA subscriptions for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Cisco offers bandwidth tiers for all Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN and Routing device families. Please see the table below for details.
Table 3. Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing bandwidth options
| Bandwidth tier |
Nominal bandwidth |
Aggregate bandwidth |
| Tier 0 |
Up to 25 Mbps |
Up to 50 Mbps |
| Tier 1 |
Up to 200 Mbps |
Up to 400 Mbps |
| Tier 2 |
Up to 1 Gbps |
Up to 2 Gbps |
| Tier 3 |
Up to 10 Gbps |
Up to 20 Gbps |
| Tier 4* |
Up to 25 Gbps |
Up to 50 Gbps |
| Tier 5** |
Up to 50 Gbps |
Up to 100 Gbps |
* Only available on Catalyst 8000V and Catalyst 8500-20X6C.
** Only available on Catalyst 8500-20X6C.
Q. What traffic should be considered for the bandwidth entitlement selection with a Cisco DNA software subscription license?
A. Please choose a bandwidth license based on the following scenarios:
SDWAN -> Choose a bandwidth tier based on all WAN traffic (any combination of the below):
● IPsec between Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN sites.
● IPsec to zScaler, SIG, or any other non-SD-WAN IPsec.
● Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) traffic (no crypto).
● Direct internet traffic (no crypto).
● Basically, any traffic in the Transport VRF going to or coming from the WAN.
Non-SDWAN (with crypto enabled)
● Choose the bandwidth tier based on the IPsec traffic.
● Non-crypto traffic is unthrottled. Throughput is based on the physical device’s capabilities. Note that the Catalyst 8000V throughput will be throttled according to license limits.
Non-SDWAN (without crypto enabled)
● Choose the lowest bandwidth tier applicable for the platform to unlock the full physical device throughput (based on Cisco Express Forwarding). Note that the Catalyst 8000V will be throttled according to license limits.
Q. What throughput tier does the customer buy if they do not need IPsec in Autonomous mode?
A. With the notable exception of the Catalyst 8000V, if IPsec is not needed in Autonomous mode, the customer can purchase the lowest available bandwidth tier for the device.
Q. Are bandwidth or throughput tiers enforced?
A. There is no hard enforcement of non-crypto throughput tiers on any platform except the Catalyst 8000V. In all other cases, if the customer chooses to configure a throughput tier for which they do not own a valid license, they will get out-of-compliance messages and will not be entitled to Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) support for related issues. Note that for all platforms without a valid HSEC license, encrypted traffic will be throttled at 250Mbps.
Q. What subscription licensing terms are available?
A. There are options for 3-, 5- and 7-year terms.
Q. Can the customer migrate from on-premises to cloud management and vice versa on an SD-WAN and Routing deployment?
A. Yes. With these subscription offers, customer choice and flexibility are paramount. Whether the current environment is based on Cisco IOS XE or vEdge, cloud or on-premises managed, the customer can choose from three simple subscription tiers based on the use cases. If the customer chooses to move from on-premises management to cloud management, they can easily do that at no additional cost.
Q. Why would a customer choose Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager vs. Cisco Catalyst Center?
A. Customers who are on the journey to intent-based networking with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN will select Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager. For customers who have Cisco switching and wireless environments and want on-premises management for a traditional routing deployment, Cisco Catalyst Center is the solution.
Q. Does Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics support mix-and-match of Cisco DNA Essentials and Cisco DNA Advantage in the same overlay?
A. No. Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics is available only if the entire Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay is on Cisco DNA Advantage.
Q. Can the customer get unlimited segmentation with mix-and-match of Cisco DNA Essentials and Cisco DNA Advantage in the same overlay?
A. No. Customers can get unlimited segmentation only if the entire Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlay is in Cisco DNA Advantage.
Q. Is the Cisco DNA bandwidth tier restriction applicable to both traditional routing and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN deployments?
A. Yes. The Cisco DNA bandwidth tier restriction is applicable to both traditional routing (traditional Cisco IOS XE) and a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN deployment.
Q. How can a customer co-term licenses?
A. Full co-terming is available to customers if they sign a Cisco Enterprise Agreement (EA). Outside of an EA, customers can co-term as long as they meet the 3-year minimum. For example, if the customer purchased a 5-year Cisco DNA subscription in 2021 ending in 2026), in 2022 they can co-term a new subscription to also end in 2026. However, they cannot purchase a subscription in 2024 and make it end in 2026, because in 2024 there are only two years left in the other subscription. With an EA, customers won’t have such restrictions.
Q. What hardware platforms are supported by on-premises-management vs. cloud-based management offers?
A. Currently, customers can choose Cisco DNA Essentials or Advantage for either on-premises management or cloud management.
For on-premises management use cases, the offers support the ASR 1000, ISR 1000 and 4000, CSR 1000V, ENCS 5000 hardware, and Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family managed through Cisco Catalyst Center.
For Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN use cases, the offers support the vEdge series, ASR 1000, ISR 1000 and 4000, CSR 1000V, ENCS 5000, and Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms Family managed through Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager.
Q. Is Cisco DNA Essentials available on the ASR 1000?
A. No. Only Cisco DNA Advantage is are supported on the ASR 1000.
Q. Is there a process to set a starting date later than the actual buying date? What is the maximum delay that can be allowed?
A. Yes. Customers can delay the start by up to 90 days from the time the order leaves the demand fulfillment center (usually within a day of placing the order). Customers can specify their preferred start date during the ordering stage in Cisco Commerce (CCW).
Q. If a customer stops paying for their subscription software license, does the network stop working?
A. For traditional environments (on-premises vs. cloud management), upon subscription expiration with no renewal, customers will still be able to use base routing features using the Command-Line Interface (CLI). However, customers will not be able to use the WAN management and control capabilities of Cisco Catalyst Center.
For Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN environments (Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager), upon subscription expiration with no renewal, WAN management functions will no longer operate. Customers must renew their subscription-based licenses to continue to get access.
Q. What happens if a hardware product reaches its “end of support” during an active software subscription period?
A. Both hardware and software have their own release and support cycle, independent of each other. If the customer has an active software subscription while the underlying hardware goes out of support, the customer can move the subscription to a new hardware platform.
Predictive Path Recommendations
Q. What is Predictive Path Recommendations (PPR)?
A. PPR is a new AIOps capability available to Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN customers. It is the first pivotal step toward delivering on the Cisco Predictive Networks vision. PPR allows you to transform your Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN operations from a reactive to a predictive model by forecasting path performance and making recommendations. Note that PPR is not applicable to traditional routing (autonomous) architectures.
Q. Is PPR available worldwide?
A. PPR is available in the United States and EMEA.
Q. How does PPR generate recommendations?
A. PPR analyzes historical data on application traffic flows across various network paths, applies statistical data models to forecast future network issues, and then makes recommendations for using alternate path(s) to improve application experience for your end users.
Q. How does PPR differ from Application Aware Routing (AAR)?
A. The Application-Aware Routing (AAR) remediates performance degradation by re-routing application traffic in real time as issues occur on network paths. In contrast, PPR forecasts network path issues and offers recommendations that can be used to adjust application traffic policies to avoid degradation in application user experience.
A. How do I access PPR?
A. You can activate the PPR from your Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics instance. Depending on the size of the network, the activation may take up to 48 hours. After activation, you can access PPR on the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics platform using your existing credentials. In addition, you will also be able to access WAN Insights from the ThousandEyes platform.
Q. Which license do I require to activate PPR?
A. The ThousandEyes WAN Insights license is included with your Cisco DNA Advantage for SD-WAN and Routing license at no extra charge. With this included license, you are entitled to use PPR/WANI for up to a total of six applications or application lists per SDWAN fabric, regardless the number of DNA Advantage licenses in your fabric and the associated WAN Insights licenses in your Virtual Account (VA). For example, if you have 20 Cisco DNA Advantage for SD-WAN and Routing licenses, you will receive 20 WAN Insights licenses in your VA. However, you will still be entitled to use only PPR/WANI for up to six applications or application lists on your single Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric.
Q. Do I require ThousandEyes Enterprise Agent to use PPR?
A. ThousandEyes Enterprise Agents will offer you additional telemetry on your network and application performance. However, it is not necessary to install ThousandEyes Enterprise Agents to utilize PPR.
Cisco Enterprise Agreement (EA)
Q. Can Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing be added to an EA?
A. Yes. Some considerations to be aware of are listed below:
● There is a $100,000 minimum Total Contract Value (TCV) for a Cisco DNA enrollment in an EA. This TCV is aggregate across all three Cisco DNA suites: Switching, Wireless, and SD-WAN and Routing.
● Metering is device based.
● 3- or 5-year term.
● Cisco EA True Forward benefits apply for bandwidth and devices.
● Ability to co-term with an existing EA.
Q. A customer would like to upgrade their software license tier within an EA. Can they upgrade the software license tier midterm?
A. Yes. Within an EA, customers can upgrade from any Cisco software license tier. The customer would pay for the upgrade at their next True Forward event.
Q. What value does a customer get through a Cisco EA?
A. A Cisco EA enables accelerated value realization. Some of the key value additions are:
● One agreement: Get full access to our software and services portfolios with common terms from your initial purchase to any future purchases.
● Easier expansion: Easily invest in the technology to support accelerated business transformation when you need it.
● Comprehensive solutions: Create a custom solution or select a pre-packaged solution to address business needs.
● Exceptional value: Maximize your investment with access to exclusive offers, incentives, and our industry-only True Forward.
● Simple Membership: Get all the benefits of the Cisco Enterprise Agreement for as little as $100K total contract value.
Q. Which types of customers should consider an EA?
A. All customers should consider an EA, as it provides added value. In particular, customers who are looking for the following should consider EA:
● Standardization: Cross-architecture standardization.
● Full coverage: 100 percent organization coverage.
● Ease of management: Centralized license management, co-termination, and procurement.
● Predictability: Predictable budget and pricing.
● Relationship: Strategic multiyear relationship.
● Maximum value: Ready for Cisco DNA journey, best value for the money.
Q. Are any promotions available for customers purchasing a Cisco DNA subscription for SD-WAN and Routing through an EA?
A. There are currently two promotions available for SD-WAN and Routing. These promotions are available only to customers who are either already in an EA or will sign one.
Buy more, save more: Customers who purchase more than one Cisco DNA suite will receive a 5% or 10% list price reduction across their entire order. This is also true if a customer adds additional suites to an existing Cisco DNA EA.
Customer ramp: Customers are provided one year to reach enterprise-wide coverage, reflected by a one-time purchase adjustment.
Q. Can a customer still buy Cisco ONE through EA, as before?
A. No. Cisco EA will offer Cisco DNA Advantage.
Q. What are the bandwidth tiers available through an EA?
A. There are six bandwidth tiers available through an E
● Tier 0: Up to 25 Mbps (up to 50 Mbps aggregate).
● Tier 1: Up to 200 Mbps (up to 400 Mbps aggregate).
● Tier 2: Up to 1 Gbps (up to 2 Gbps aggregate).
● Tier 3: Up to 10 Gbps (up to 20 Gbps aggregate).
● Tier 4: Up to 25 Gbps (up to 50 Gbps aggregate) (available only in Cisco DNA Advantage for the Catalyst 8000V and Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C).
● Tier 5: Up to 50 Gbps (up to 100 Gbps aggregate) (available only in Cisco DNA Advantage for the Catalyst Edge C8500-20X6C).
Q. A customer already has a security EA. Which Cisco DNA tier should they consider?
A. Security EA customers who already have Cisco Umbrella SIG Essentials and Cisco Secure Malware Analytics should consider Cisco DNA Advantage.
Q. What happens if a customer buys one bandwidth tier in an EA (for example, Tier 1, entitled up to 400 Mbps aggregate), but consumes more than what they are entitled to?
A. Any sustained overconsumption is captured at the annual True Forward event, and additional charges would apply going forward if the consumption exceeded their entitlement. Overconsumption in bursts for a short period of time will not trigger True Forward adjustments.
Q. How does an EA customer upgrade from one bandwidth tier to another?
A. An EA customer may consume more than their entitled bandwidth (for example, 400 Mbps aggregate with Tier 1), but additional charges going forward would apply if the consumption exceeded their entitlement at the annual True Forward event.
Q. If a customer currently has a Viptela
® EA, how can they migrate to a Cisco EA?
A. At the time of Viptela EA renewal, the customer’s EA will be cut over to a Cisco EA with a Cisco DNA offer.
Cisco Smart Accounts and Smart Licensing
Q. What is Smart Licensing?
A. Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides customers with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across the customer’s organization. And it’s secure – customers control what users can access.
Watch a short video on Smart Licensing.
Q. What are the benefits of Smart Licenses?
A. With Smart Licensing customers 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 provides a complete view into all of the customer’s Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so they always know what they have and what they are using.
● License flexibility: Software is not node-locked to hardware, so the customer can easily use and transfer licenses as needed.
Q. How does a customer view and use a Smart License?
A. License availability and consumption through a Smart License are visible through a portal called Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM). All licenses that are deposited and consumed are clearly visible through the user ID and password provided for the Smart or virtual account for each customer.
Q. Where can I learn more about Cisco Smart Software Licensing and Smart Accounts?
Support
Q. What are the support nuances regarding Cisco DNA subscription software for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Support for Cisco DNA subscription software for SD-WAN and Routing can be broken down into two distinct elements:
● Support for the subscription functionality (Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Cisco Umbrella SIG Essentials, etc.) enabled by a Cisco DNA Subscription (Cisco DNA Essentials and Advantage).
● Support for the underlying hardware, including its OS and Network Stack, upon which the Cisco DNA subscription software runs. This is not supported by Cisco DNA licenses. Support for the underlying hardware, including its OS and Network Stack is handled by a service contract on the router hardware.
Cisco offers customers several options to ensure complete support coverage.
Q. What Cisco Support Service is recommended for the Cisco DNA subscription for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Cisco Success Tracks is the default and recommended Support Service. Success Tracks must be ordered on both the device platform and Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing subscription for complete customer entitlement to this premium support service. Success Tracks is not mandatory; the customer may choose to use the base product-level support included with the purchase of Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing software subscriptions or another available Support Service, such as Cisco Solution Support, or a partner service option.
Q. What is Success Tracks?
A. Success Tracks is a comprehensive suite of success services delivered via CX Cloud digital experience to empower IT teams to transition from reactive to proactive and predictive IT operations. It includes all Cisco Solution Support break/fix support deliverables, plus:
● Proven product activation checklists and success tips.
● Access to live and on-demand expert resources.
● Direct access to engineering expertise.
● AI/ML-based analytics.
● Curated library of Product Alerts and Field Notices.
● Centralized inventory tracking and asset management.
● Configuration assessment for security and compliance.
● Recommendations for software updates.
● Simplified case management and rapid problem resolution.
● Practice labs for pre-production testing.
● Technical certification learning assistance.
Learn more about Cisco Success Tracks
here.
Q. What other Cisco Support Services are available for Cisco DNA subscriptions for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. While Success Tracks is the default and recommended service for Cisco Networking solutions, additional options include:
● Solution Support, one service that streamlines support across software, hardware, and Solution Support Alliance Partner products in your customer’s Cisco Networking solution.
● A combination of Cisco Smart Net Total Care (R) for the hardware and Cisco IOS XE perpetual network stack and the base software-level support included in the Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing subscriptions.
Q. What is Cisco Solution Support?
A. Solution Support streamlines your customer’s support experience across software, hardware, and Solution Support Alliance Partner products used in their Cisco Networking solution through:
● A Cisco primary point of contact engineer accountable for single product, multi-product, or multi-vendor issue resolution.
● Coordination of Solution Support Alliance Partner support teams until resolution for multi-vendor issues.
● Deep expertise in solutions, architectures, and interoperability across software and hardware.
● Can look beyond original case scope and recommend actions to address known issues.
● No requirement for customers to isolate their issue to a product to open a case (use any Solution Support-entitled product).
● 30-minute TAC response objective for Severity 1 and 2 service requests.
● Prioritized case handling over product support cases of the same severity.
Q. What support is included at no additional cost with a Cisco DNA subscription for SD-WAN and Routing?
A. Cisco DNA for SD-WAN and Routing subscription licenses include base software-level support ONLY for the subscription functionality (Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Validator, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller, Cisco Umbrella SIG Essentials, etc.) enabled by the Cisco DNA Subscription (Cisco DNA Essentials and Advantage). Customers can access the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) 24x7x365 for software support and release updates.
Base software-level support does NOT cover the Network Stack. No support is included for the underlying hardware, nor are support, upgrades, or updates included for the Cisco IOS XE-related perpetual network stack (Network Essentials or Advantage).
Q. What support is included at no additional cost with the Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription?
A. Catalyst Routing Essentials subscription licenses include base software-level support ONLY for the management software functionality enabled through Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager or Cisco Catalyst Center. The included base software-level support does NOT cover the support for device software and features.
Support for all device software and features, including support for the underlying hardware, upgrades, and updates for the Cisco IOS XE-related network stack will require the additional purchase of either Smart Net Total Care, Solution Support, or Success Tracks.
Q. Can I order Success Tracks or Solution Support on just the router and not the Cisco DNA license, or vice versa?
A. Customers electing to use Success Tracks or Solution Support must purchase these services for both the hardware platform and the associated Cisco DNA license.
Note: If the router platform and Cisco DNA license are ordered in a bundle and the chosen service is not purchased for hardware and software as described, the configuration will be designated invalid.
Alternatively, customers can elect to purchase Smart Net Total Care for router hardware and use the base software-level support included in their Cisco DNA license.