Product Authorization Key (PAK) 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 the license for the device.
There are three types of license boot levels available:
Starting with release Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.7.1, PAK licenses aren’t available, and the router boots in the Smart Licensing or No-License mode. A router with permanent boot
License boots with the default boot level license (metro access) instead of the installed license. For example, if the PAK
license "advancedmetroipaccess" is the installed license available on the router. After upgrade, the router boots with the
default boot license (metro access) instead of "advancedmetroipaccess" license.
Table 1. Feature History
|
Feature Name
|
Release Information
|
Feature Description
|
| License Snapshot Support is Introduced |
Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.8.1
|
License snapshot captures the license information in the router before an upgrade. Post upgrade, the router generates a snapshot
of the available installed licenses from an earlier release. The router boots with licenses matching the PAK licenses.
|
Starting with release Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.8.1, the router generates a license snapshot of the available licenses from an earlier release. Snapshot of license contains
the details of the licenses available on the router. Post upgrading to Smart Licensing or No-License modes, the router boots
with licenses matching the permanent license.
For example, if the PAK license Advanced Metro IP Access is the installed license available on the router. Then, after upgrade
the router boots with the default boot license (Metro Access) instead of Advanced Metro IP Access license. If you want to
change the license, then deposit the PAK license, factory reset the router, and use the smart-licensing mode to configure
the new license.
The show platform software sl-infra pak-info displays the license information after generating a snapshot of the licenses.
-
Verify the PAK license for Permanent Licenses on the router. This example shows the router displaying Permanent License configuration.
Router#show license
Index 1 Feature: advancedmetroipaccess
Period left: Life time
License Type: Permanent
License State: Active, In Use
License Count: Non-Counted
License Priority: Medium
Router#sh run | i boot
boot-start-marker
boot-end-marker
diagnostic bootup level minimal
- Upgrade the router to Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.8.1 release or later. The router generates a snapshot of the available licenses from an earlier release. Verify the license information.
This example shows the snapshot information.
Router# show platform software sl-infra pak-info
Pak License Snapshot Information
=================================
Platform Supports PAK License snapshot
PAK License Snapshot integrity check pass
PAK License Snapshot available
License Name : advancedmetroipaccess
Index : 0
In Use Count : 0
In Use Count Valid : 0
License Precedence : 0
License Type : 0 - Permanent
License Get Type : 0 - Permanent
Number of License : 65535 - Non-Counted
Current State : 2 - Active, Not in Use
License State : 1 - Active, In Use
Timestamp lower 32bits : 1635281126 - Tue Oct 26 20:45:26 2021
Timestamp upper 32bits : 0
Trial Elapsed Period Left : 0
After upgrading to the Smart Licensing or No-License mode, the router boots with the license level matching the permanent
license.
-
Example: Router in No-license mode:
Router#show version
License Level: advancedmetroipaccess
License Type: No License Mode
Next reload license Level: advancedmetroipaccess
-
Example: Router in Smart Licensing mode:
Router# show license summary
Smart Licensing is ENABLED
Registration:
Status: UNREGISTERED
Router# show version
License Level: advancedmetroipaccess
License Type: Smart License
Next reload license Level: advancedmetroipaccess
In HA setup, a router which stays unchanged for releases, all preexisting PAK licenses upgrade to Smart licensing seamlessly.
However, if you have added, removed or downgraded your PAK licenses, you might face issues with the standby router reloading
continuously. This issue occurs when the PAK licenses stored in the active and standby routers are different.
We recommend that you do a factory reset of all routers in a HA setup, and manually configure the licenses.
Table 2. Feature History
|
Feature Name
|
Release Information
|
Feature Description
|
|
License Snapshot Support is Discontinued
|
Cisco IOS XE Dublin 17.11.1
|
Starting from this release the license snapshot option is discontinued. We recommend that you migrate to Cisco Smart Licensing,
which provides unified management, easy to activate, and supports license flexibility.
|
Starting with release Cisco IOS XE Dublin 17.11.1, the PAK managing library is discontinued and the ability to capture PAK information in a snapshot is no longer supported.
Router takes snapshot only on releases starting from release 17.8.1 to 17.10.x releases. If the router gets directly upgraded
to release 17.11.1 or later, then no PAK license information is available.
If you want to take a snapshot, then we recommend you to choose a release where the router can take a snapshot of any PAK
license to have the previous reference of the PAK license usage.
Table 3. License Support Matrix
|
XE Release
|
PAK License
|
Snapshot
|
Smart License
|
|
17.1.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
17.2.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
|
17.3.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
17.4.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
17.5.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
17.6.1
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
17.7.1
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
17.8.1
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
17.9.1
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
17.10.1
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
17.11.1
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
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