Smart Licensing Using Policy

1. What is Smart Licensing Using Policy?

   The Smart Licensing Using Policy is an evolved version of Smart Licensing.

   The Smart Licensing Using Policy simplifies the day-0 operations for customers. The product will not boot in evaluation-mode, per product software registration is not required, and ongoing communication every 30 days with the Cisco Cloud is not required. However, license use compliance does require software reporting. Reporting is and can be done:

   • From Cisco factory, when all new purchases include a Smart Account on an order

   • Smart Software Manager (SSM) On-Prem (Version XXXX)

   • Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) lite-windows application

   • Through APIs / CLIs for any 3rd party system

   • Directly to a Smart Account

2. Which platform and software release supports Smart Licensing Using Policy?

   Smart Licensing Using Policy is required from Cisco NX-OS Release 10.2(1)F onwards and is supported on Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 platform switches. Enforced and Export licenses are not supported on Cisco Nexus 9000 platform switches.

3. What are the key differences between Smart Licensing and Smart Licensing Using Policy?

   Smart Licensing Using Policy	Smart Licensing
   Mandatory evaluation mode	No registration, No evaluation mode
   Day0 registration to CSSM or SSM On-Prem per device for software compliance	Allows unenforced license change, but reporting required
   On-going license reporting every 30 days	On-change reporting policies and customer-specific reporting policies
   Software compliance is a preuse per product activity requirement	Software compliance is managed on-change, automation tools that are provided to assist with SW

4. What is different in CSSM with Cisco NX-OS Release 10.1(2) and Cisco Nexus Release 10.2(1)F?

   In CSSM, users need not register devices before use. However, to set up automated reporting a Cisco tool, API reporting, or direct connection from a product using a trusted connection to CSSM can be used. Alternatively, users can manually upload software use records (RUM reports) directly to CSSM via the Upload Usage Data button under the Reporting and Usage Data Files tabs. An active Smart Account is required to submit software use RUM reports.

5. How often is reporting required?

   • Report is required within 90 days only when there is a change in software use.

   • Ongoing reporting frequency: 365 days.

   • Unenforced/Non-Export, first report is required within 90 days.

6. What are the supported topologies for connecting to Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM)?

   The following are the supported topologies.

   Topology 1: Connected to CSSM Through CSLU

   Topology 2: Connected Directly to CSSM

   Note	A trust token is required only for this topology.

   Topology 3: Connected to CSSM Through SSM On-Prem

   Topology 4: CSLU Disconnected from CSSM

   Topology 5: No Connectivity to CSSM and No CSLU

   Topology 6: SSM On-Prem Disconnected from CSSM

7. How do customers Report software use?

   Cisco Smart Licensing Using Policy provides various reporting options using online and offline modes to report software use.

   • From the switch in off-line or direct connect mode.

   • Cisco Smart License Utility (CSLU) Lite-Windows application

   • SSM On-Prem

   • Direct to CSSM via APIs

8. Does the customer require to install a trust token?

   No, unless customer is using a direct connection to CSSM then a one-time trust exchange is established.

9. What will happen if customers upgrade from legacy licenses or from Smart Licensing to a Smart Licensing Using Policy for non-export-controlled software?

   When a customer migrates from a legacy licensing scheme [such as PAK (Product Activation Key) files or traditional Smart Licensing] to a Smart Licensing Using Policy, license conversion is expected to happen automatically.

   Note

   For Topology 5: No Connectivity to CSSM and No CSLU, we recommend waiting for one hour after Smart Licensing Using Policy migration to generate the first RUM report. If the transport mode is off, you must collect the first rum report after an hour of migration to SLP to support PAK-based license conversion. Ensure that before you gather the rum report, show license data conversion is not blank.

10. Will the Smart Account/Virtual Account migrate to Smart Licensing Using Policy by default, or does it must be requested?

    Smart Account/Virtual Account will be enabled with Smart Licensing Using Policy functionality. No migration of Smart Account is necessary.

11. Are all Virtual Accounts inside a Smart Account enabled for Smart Licensing Using Policy?

    Yes.

12. Can a Smart Licensing Using Policy-enabled SA/VA handle non-Smart Licensing Using Policy Images?

    Yes.

13. Can a non-Smart Licensing Using Policy connect to a Smart Licensing Using Policy SA/VA?

    Yes.

14. Does anything change with the existing software subscription tiers?

    There is no change in the software subscription tier, it remains the same.

15. Does Release 10.2(1)F support only Smart Licensing Using Policy?

    Starting with Release 10.2(1)F devices will only support Smart Licensing Using Policy. There is no support for traditional licensing and smart licensing in this release.

16. After migrating to Smart Licensing Using Policy, what’s the maximum amount of time I get before I send the first report.

    If at least one feature on the Nexus requires a license, a report is required within 90 days.

17. Who determines the policy and how many policies can be applied on a single device?

    CSSM determines the policy that is applied to a product. Only one policy is in use at a given point in time.

18. Is the Policy a hard requirement?

    The policy is a requirement from Cisco. It is a soft requirement on device and not an enforcement. Excluding a limited set of advanced VXLAN features, functionality is not disabled by the Nexus due to insufficient licensing.

19. What is Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU)?

    Cisco Smart Licensing Utility (CSLU) is a Windows application that is used to automate receiving or pulling software use reports from a Cisco product and report the software use to a Smart Account on Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM).

20. What are the minimum Windows system requirements to install CSLU?

    Component	Minimum	Recommended
    Hard disk	100 GB	200 GB
    RAM	8 GB	8 GB
    CPU	x86 Dual Core	x86 Quad Core
    Ethernet NIC	1	1

21. What are the key features of CSLU?

    • Collect license usage reports from the product instances in either a push or pull modes.

    • Store and forward usage reports to CSSM for billing and analytics.

    • Obtain and distribute policy and authorization codes from CSSM.

    • It can be deployed as standalone micro service:

      • Windows host (up to 10,000 Product Instances (PI))

    • It can also be integrated as software component with controller-based products.

    • Regardless how the micro service is deployed, it is able to deliver an on-line or off-line connectivity model for the license data.

22. What is the report format in CSLU?

    The CSLU report format is based on ISO 19770-4 standard RUM report format. It is delivered in JSON format and is signed per trust model.

23. What are the various tools to collect software use report?

    Customers can use various sets of APIs that are available on NX-OS.

24. Which data does Cisco care about?

    Below are the required data fields for software reconciliation for each Cisco product that supports Smart Licensing Using Policy.

    UDI	HardwareProduct serial number
    SN	Software Unique ID Serial Number
    Software Package and Reg ID	Software product package and entitlement tag
    Count	Software use count per license entitlement
    Time and date stamp	Per license entitlement change and use

    Below are optional data fields for software reconciliation for each Cisco product that support Smart Licensing Using Policy.

    SA-VA Level 1	example, Entity (map to a SA)
    SA-VA Level 2	example, GEO (map to a SA)
    SA-VA Level 3	example, department (map to a SA)
    SA-VA Level 4	example, building (map to a SA)
    SA-VA Level 5	example, room (map to a SA)
    Free form	Data does not go back to Cisco
    Free form	Data does not go back to Cisco

    (SA = Smart Account, VA = Virtual Account)

25. How does Smart Licensing Using Policy work with device replacement (RMA)?

    The Smart Licensing Using Policy configuration from the replaced device must be applied to the replacement device. If the existing configuration is unavailable or not functional on the new device, see the Configuring Smart Licensing Using Policy section of this document

26. What are Licenses Enforcement types?

    The enforcement type indicates if the license requires authorization before use. Following are the two types of license enforcement.

    • Unenforced - Unenforced licenses do not require authorization before use in air-gapped networks or in connected networks. The terms of use for such licenses are as per the End User License Agreement (EULA)

    • Enforced - Licenses that belong to this enforcement type require authorization before use. The required authorization is in the form of an authorization code, which must be installed in the corresponding product instance.

    Note	Only unenforced licenses are supported in Release 10.2(1)F.

27. When we order hardware along with licenses, how much time does it take to reflect smart licenses under a particular smart account after allocation?

    Smart Licenses will be reflected on CSSM in about 24 to 96 hours.

28. What happens if customers upgrade from smart licensing to a SLP for non-export-controlled software?

    If a customer upgrades from a legacy license to a SLP, there will be no operational changes. All keys will persist through the upgrade

29. When the SLP Report doesn't sync automatically after ASCII Reload, should the sync be triggered manually?

    This is a rare scenario. When the SLP transport mode is SMART, trust is established, report is synced, and ACK received, if the copy r s and reload command is issued, then when the box comes up, the report syncs automatically and the ACK is received as expected. However, if the ascii reload command is issued, and, when the box comes up, if the report does not sync automatically, then, to initiate the process, run the license smart sync all command.

30. Among the vPC peers, would it suffice to register just one of the vPC peer switches with SLP?

    No. With regard to SLP, every vPC peer switch acts as a separate entity, so you should register both the switches.