Configuring Cisco License Call Home

Last Updated: April 17, 2012

The Cisco License Call Home feature provides a robust set of commands that communicate with the Cisco licensing infrastructure, makes connections and data transfers, and provides interactive prompts to help you install and maintain software licenses. This module describes the tasks and the commands used to activate software by using the Cisco License Call Home feature, license keys, and Cisco EXEC commands. When you activate software from a Cisco device, you can license software without the need for additional application software.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Prerequisites for Cisco License Call Home

  • You must obtain the device certificate from the Cisco licensing infrastructure before starting.
  • You must have a CCO user login account.

Restrictions for Cisco License Call Home

  • The device must have an Internet connection and use HTTPS to connect to the Cisco licensing infrastructure. To set up a secure HTTP connection, see the HTTP 1.1 Web Server and Client chapter in the Cisco IOS Network Management Configuration Guide.
  • Only certain platforms support the Cisco License Call Home feature, and these devices must be running a Cisco IOS crypto K9 image. For information about platform support, see the "Feature Information for Cisco License Call Home" section.

Information About Cisco License Call Home

Cisco License Call Home Interface

The Cisco License Call Home feature allows a Cisco device to communicate with the Cisco licensing infrastructure that provides license generation, fulfillment, and support. The Cisco License Call Home feature uses a secured Internet connection to retrieve licensing information. This feature provides a robust set of commands that makes connections, transfers data, and provides interactive prompts to help you install and maintain software licenses. Once you purchase a product authorization key (PAK), Cisco License Call Home commands enable you to easily perform these tasks:

  • Install or upgrade a license.
  • Transfer a license.
  • Request that a license be resent.

The figure below shows how the Cisco License Call Home feature interfaces to the Cisco licensing back-end system. The architecture shown in the figure below allows the use of the License Call Home EXEC commands to communicate with the Cisco licensing infrastructure and to perform administrative license operations.

Figure 1 Cisco License Call Home Interface


The Cisco License Call Home feature works as a client-server model with each transaction completed as a separate connection to the Cisco licensing infrastructure. The Cisco License Call Home feature displays prompts to obtain required information and then connects to the Cisco licensing back end to interact with the Cisco licensing infrastructure. A Cisco License Call Home EXEC command initiates a request, and the Cisco licensing infrastructure provides the response. The processes designed into the Cisco License Call Home architecture manage the transport of information that provides the URL required to connect to the Cisco licensing infrastructure over the Internet and to create a session.

How to Configure Cisco License Call Home

Installing Licenses or Upgrading Software by Using Cisco License Call Home

SUMMARY STEPS

1.    Obtain the PAK.

2.    enable

3.    show license call-home pak pak-id

4.    license call-home install pak pak-id

5.    show license feature


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
Obtain the PAK.  

The PAK is provided to you when you order or purchase the right to use a feature set for a particular platform. The PAK serves as a receipt and is used as part of the process to obtain a license.

 
Step 2
enable


Example:

Device> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 3
show license call-home pak pak-id


Example:

Device# show license call-home pak 3XPXR9E7D30

 

Displays the stock keeping unit (SKU) list and features available for the PAK provided.

 
Step 4
license call-home install pak pak-id


Example:

Device# license call-home install pak 3XPXR9E7D30

 

Installs a license by using the Cisco License Call Home feature.

  • Respond to the prompts in the command display.
 
Step 5
show license feature


Example:

Device# show license feature

 

Displays the list of licensed features.

 

Rehosting a License by Using Cisco License Call Home

SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    license call-home revoke udi target-udi output-of-rehosted-license-url

3.    show license detail

4.    license install stored-location-url


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Device> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
license call-home revoke udi target-udi output-of-rehosted-license-url


Example:

Device# license call-home revoke udi AS54XM-AC-RPS:JAE0948QT6R flash:licensetargetudi.xml

 

Revokes and transfers a license by using source and target UDIs. Sends the rehost ticket to the Cisco licensing infrastructure with the target unique device identifier (UDI), converts it to a license file, and stores it in the URL specified.

  • Select from multiple SKUs for rehosting when you are prompted, and supply information when required.
 
Step 3
show license detail


Example:

Device# show license detail

 

Verifies that the license has been transferred.

 
Step 4
license install stored-location-url
 

(Optional) Installs the revoked license.

  • For details about installing and upgrading licenses, see the "Configuring the Cisco IOS Software Activation Feature" module.
 

Requesting a License Resend by Using Cisco License Call Home

SUMMARY STEPS

1.    enable

2.    license call-home resend dest-lic-location

3.    license install stored-location-url


DETAILED STEPS
  Command or Action Purpose
Step 1
enable


Example:

Device> enable

 

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

  • Enter your password if prompted.
 
Step 2
license call-home resend dest-lic-location


Example:

Device# license call-home resend flash:licenseresend.lic

 

Obtains all licenses this device owns and stores them in the specified location.

 
Step 3
license install stored-location-url
 

(Optional) Installs the revoked license.

  • For details about installing and upgrading licenses, see the "Configuring the Cisco IOS Software Activation Feature" module.
 

Configuration Examples for Cisco License Call Home

Example: Installing Licenses or Upgrading Software by Using Cisco License Call Home

The following example shows how to use the license license call-home install pak command to install a license by using the Cisco License Call Home feature. The command also displays prompts for mandatory information. The show license feature command is used to verify the installation. 

Device# license call-home install pak 3XPXR9E7D30
CCO User name: User1
CCO password : ************
Pak Number          : 3XPXR9E7D30
Pak Fulfillment type: SINGLE
     1. SKU Name           : Gatekeeper
        SKU Type           : Product
        Description        : Gatekeeper 
        Ordered Qty        : 1
        Available Qty      : 1
        Feature List       :
            Feature name:         gatekeeper Count: Uncounted
        Platform Supported : N/A
                             5400
                             5350
                             2800
                             3800
Do you want to install the above listed SKU(s)? [yes/no]: yes
Please enter the user's detail:
First Name : First-name
Last Name : Last-name
Title : Software Engineer
Company Name : Cisco Systems
Address1 : 510 McCarthy Blvd.
Address2  [Optional]: 
City : Milpitas
State : CA
Province  [Optional]: 
Zipcode : 95134
Country : USA
Phone : 408 526-4000
Fax  [Optional]: 
Email : User1@cisco.com
Installing...Feature:gatekeeper...Successful

Device# show license feature
Feature name             Enforcement  Evaluation  Subscription   Enabled
gsmamrnb-codec-pack      yes          yes         no             no
Device#

Example: Rehosting a License by Using Cisco License Call Home

The following example shows how to use the license call-home revoke udi command to revoke and transfer a license by using source and target UDIs. The command also displays prompts for mandatory information. The show license detail command is used to verify that the license has been transferred. 

Device# license call-home revoke udi AS54XM-AC-RPS:JAE0948QT6R flash:licensetargetudi.xml
CCO User name: User1
CCO password : ************
Retrieving the sku from swift ............................ 
     1. SKU Name           : Gatekeeper
        SKU Type           : Product
        Description        : 
        Ordered Qty        : 1
        Available Qty      : 1
        Feature List       :
            Feature name:         gatekeeper Count: Uncounted
        Platform Supported : N/A
                             5400
                             5350
                             2800
                             3800
     3. SKU Name           : Gatekeeper
        SKU Type           : Product
        Description        : 
        Ordered Qty        : 1
        Available Qty      : 1
        Feature List       :
            Feature name:         gatekeeper Count: Uncounted
        Platform Supported : N/A
                             5400
                             5350
                             2800
                             3800
4. SKU Name           : GSMAMRNB
        SKU Type           : Product
        Description        : Transfer this feature set
        Ordered Qty        : 1
        Available Qty      : 1
        Feature List       :
            Feature name: gsmamrnb-codec-pac Count: Uncounted
        Platform Supported : 5400
                             5350
5. All of the above 
Please select the sku number you want to revoke : 4
Retrieving the permission ticket from swift ............. 
Installing permission ticket and retrieving rehost ticket........Done
		

Device# show license detail
Index: 1 	Feature: gsmamrnb-codec-pack   Version: 1.0
	License Type: Evaluation
	License State: Active, Not in Use, EULA accepted
	    Evaluation total period: 8  weeks 4  days 
	    Evaluation period left: 8  weeks 4  days 
	Lock type: Non Node locked
	Vendor info 
	License Addition: Additive
	License Generation version 135266304
	License Priority: Low
	Store Index: 0
	Store Name: Evaluation License Storage

Example: Requesting a License Resend by Using Cisco License Call Home

The following examples shows how to use the license call-home resend command to obtain all licenses this device owns and store them in the specified location: 

Device# license call-home resend flash:licenseresend.lic
CCO User name: User1
CCO password : ************
Email Address: User1@cisco.com
Getting Licenses from SWIFT ..........
Saving it to flash:licenseresend.lic.....Done

Additional References

Related Documents

Related Topic

Document Title

Cisco License Manager application

User Guide for Cisco License Manager

Software activation conceptual overview

"Cisco IOS Software Activation Conceptual Overview" module

Software activation commands

Software Activation Command Reference

Cisco IOS commands

Master Commands List, All Releases

Integrated Services Routers licensing

Software Activation on Cisco Integrated Services Routers

Technical Assistance

Description

Link

The Cisco Support and Documentation website provides online resources to download documentation, software, and tools. Use these resources to install and configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html

Feature Information for Cisco License Call Home

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Table 1 Feature Information for Cisco License Call Home

Feature Name

Releases

Feature Information

Cisco License Call Home

12.4(15)XZ

12.4(20)T

15.1(1)SG

Cisco IOS XE Release 3.3SG

The Cisco License Call Home feature provides a robust set of commands that communicate with the Cisco licensing infrastructure, makes connections and data transfers, and provides interactive prompts to help you install and maintain software licenses.

In 12.4(15)XZ, this feature was introduced on the Cisco AS5300, AS5350, AS5350XM, AS5400, AS5400HPX, AS5400XM, 2800, 2851, 2821, 2811, 3800, 3825, and 3845 platforms.

The following commands were introduced or modified by this feature: license call-home install, license call-home resend, license call-home revoke, license call-home url, show license call-home.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)

Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.

© 2012 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.