Licensing Cisco NX-OS Software Features

This chapter contains information related to feature and module-based licensing for Cisco Nexus switches that run Cisco NX-OS software.


Note

Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM) is a GUI that you can use to manage your data center infrastructure. See the Cisco DCNM Installation and Licensing Guide for details about installing and licensing Cisco DCNM.

License Installation

You can either obtain a factory-installed license (only applies to new device orders) or perform a manual license installation of the license (applies to existing devices in your network).


Note

All licenses for the Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 series switches are managed with Smart Licensing Using a Policy from 10.2(1) release. Manual installation of license is not required.


Note

Only users with the network-admin role can install licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

Obtaining a Factory-Installed License

You can obtain factory-installed licenses for a new Cisco NX-OS device.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. Contact your reseller or Cisco representative and request this service.
  2. Start using the device and the licensed features.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1

Contact your reseller or Cisco representative and request this service.

Note

 

If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchased support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html.

Your device is shipped with the required licenses installed in the system.

Step 2

Start using the device and the licensed features.

Performing a Manual Installation

If you have existing devices or if you wish to install the licenses on your own, you must first obtain the license key file and then install that file in the device.


Note

All licenses for the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series and the Cisco Nexus 4000 Series are factory-installed. Manual installation is not required.

Figure 1. Obtaining a License Key File. This figure shows how to obtain a license key file.


Obtaining the License Key File

You can obtain new or updated license key files.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. Obtain the serial number for your device by entering the show license host-id command. The host ID is also referred to as the device serial number.
  2. Obtain your software license claim certificate document. If you cannot locate your software license claim certificate, contact Cisco Technical Support at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html.
  3. Locate the product authorization key (PAK) from the software license claim certificate document.
  4. Locate the website URL from the software license claim certificate document. You can access the Product License Registration website https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Home.
  5. Follow the instructions on the Product License Registration website to register the license for your device.
  6. For the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, Cisco Nexus 3164Q switches, and Cisco Nexus 31128PQ switches, use the copy licenses command to save your license file to one of three locations—the bootflash: directory, the usb1: device, or the usb2: device. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the copy licenses command from the default VDC to save your license file to one of four locations—the bootflash: directory, the slot0: device, the usb1: device, or the usb2: device. For all other platforms, use the copy licenses command to save your license file to one of two locations—the bootflash: directory or the volatile: directory.

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

Obtain the serial number for your device by entering the show license host-id command. The host ID is also referred to as the device serial number. 


switch# show license host-id
License hostid: VDH=FOX064317SQ

Tip

 

Use the entire ID that appears after the equal sign (=). In this example, the host ID is FOX064317SQ.

Step 2

Obtain your software license claim certificate document. If you cannot locate your software license claim certificate, contact Cisco Technical Support at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html.

Step 3

Locate the product authorization key (PAK) from the software license claim certificate document.

Step 4

Locate the website URL from the software license claim certificate document. You can access the Product License Registration website https://tools.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Home.

Step 5

Follow the instructions on the Product License Registration website to register the license for your device.

The license key file is sent to you by e-mail and is digitally signed to only authorize use on the requested device. The requested features are also enabled once the Cisco NX-OS software on the specified device accesses the license key file.

Caution

 

Do not make any modifications to the license key file. It will alter the digital signature and render the license invalid.

A license is permanent. If you do not have a license, the grace period for using a feature starts from the first time you start using a feature offered by a license.

Note

 

Cisco TrustSec for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series and Layer 3 Enterprise for the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series do not have a grace period. You must obtain an Advanced Services license to use Cisco TrustSec.

Step 6

For the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches, Cisco Nexus 3164Q switches, and Cisco Nexus 31128PQ switches, use the copy licenses command to save your license file to one of three locations—the bootflash: directory, the usb1: device, or the usb2: device. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the copy licenses command from the default VDC to save your license file to one of four locations—the bootflash: directory, the slot0: device, the usb1: device, or the usb2: device. For all other platforms, use the copy licenses command to save your license file to one of two locations—the bootflash: directory or the volatile: directory.

Note

 

Only users with the network-admin role can copy licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

Installing the License Key File

You can install the license to enable features on your device. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, the license must be installed in the default VDC or admin VDC. A license applies to features in all VDCs and VRFs on the physical device.


Tip
If you need to install multiple licenses in any device, be sure to provide unique filenames for each license key file.

Note

If you have a single supervisor module on your Cisco NX-OS device and you replace the supervisor module, you must reinstall the license key file.

If you are currently running with a grace period license to avoid service disruptions when you install your permanent license, do not disable the grace period by using the no license grace-period command. Instead, just install your new license. The license manager will automatically transition from grace licensing to the installed license.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. Log into the device through the console port of the active supervisor.
  2. Perform the installation by using the install license command on the active supervisor module from the device console.
  3. (Optional) Back up the license key file.
  4. Exit the device console and open a new terminal session to view all license files installed on the device using the show license command.
  5. (Optional) Enable licensed features, if necessary, by using the feature feature-name command in global configuration mode. For example, you can enable the BGP feature as follows:

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1

Log into the device through the console port of the active supervisor.

Note

 

Only users with the network-admin role can install licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

Step 2

Perform the installation by using the install license command on the active supervisor module from the device console. 


switch# install license bootflash:license_file.lic
Installing license ..done

Note

 

If you provide a target name for the license key file, the file is installed with the specified name. Otherwise, the filename specified in the license key file is used to install the license.

Step 3

(Optional) Back up the license key file.

Step 4

Exit the device console and open a new terminal session to view all license files installed on the device using the show license command. 

switch# show license
Enterprise.lic:
SERVER this_host ANY
VENDOR cisco
INCREMENT LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG cisco 1.0 permanent uncounted \
        VENDOR_STRING=<LIC_SOURCE>MDS_SWIFT</LIC_SOURCE><SKU>N7K-LAN1K9=</SKU> \
        HOSTID=VDH=TBC10412106 \
        NOTICE="<LicFileID>20071025133322456</LicFileID><LicLineID>1</LicLineID>\
        <PAK></PAK>" SIGN=0CC6E2245FBE

Note

 

If the license meets all guidelines when the install license command is used, all features and modules continue functioning as configured.

You can use the show license brief command to display a list of license files installed on the device. 


switch# show license brief
Enterprise.lic

You can use the show license file command to display information about a specific license file installed on the device. 


switch# show license file Enterprise.lic
Enterprise.lic:
SERVER this_host ANY
VENDOR cisco
INCREMENT LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG cisco 1.0 permanent uncounted \
        VENDOR_STRING=<LIC_SOURCE>MDS_SWIFT</LIC_SOURCE><SKU>N7K-LAN1K9=</SKU> \
        HOSTID=VDH=TBC10412106 \
        NOTICE="<LicFileID>20071025133322456</LicFileID><LicLineID>1</LicLineID>\
        <PAK></PAK>" SIGN=0CC6E2245FBE

Step 5

(Optional) Enable licensed features, if necessary, by using the feature feature-name command in global configuration mode. For example, you can enable the BGP feature as follows: 


swtich# configure terminal
switch(config)# feature bgp

Backing Up Licenses

If the configuration or bootflash memory on your device becomes corrupted, you might need to reinstall your license. You can do a reinstallation from a backed-up copy of the license key file. If you do not have a license key file, you can create a copy of the license key file from your installed license.


Note

If you have a single supervisor module on your Cisco NX-OS device and you replace the supervisor module, you must reinstall the license key file. You cannot reinstall the license key file from the backed-up copy.


Caution

If you erase any existing licenses installed on your device, you can reinstall them only by using the install license command using the license key file.


Note

Only users with the network-admin role can back up licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. On the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, licenses must be backed up from the default VDC (VDC 1). For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

Backing Up the License Key File

You can back up your license key file to a remote server or to an external device by using the copy command.

This example shows how to save a license key file to a remote server: 

switch# copy bootflash:license_file.lic tftp://10.10.1.1//license_file.lic

Some Cisco NX-OS platforms support external flash devices. This example shows how to save a license key file to an external Flash device: 

switch# copy bootflash:license_file.lic slot0:license_file.lic

Backing Up an Installed License

You can back up your license key file to a remote server or to an external device by using the copy command.

This example saves all licenses installed on your device to a .tar file and copies it to a remote UNIX-based server: 

switch# copy licenses bootflash:Enterprise.tar
Backing up license done 
switch# copy bootflash:Enterprise.tar tftp://10.10.1.1//Enterprise.tar

You can uncompress the .tar file on the remote UNIX-based server to create one or more backup license key files, depending on how many licenses you have installed. You can also extract the license files on your Cisco NX-OS device by using the tar extract command.

This example shows how to extract license files from a .tar file: 

switch# tar extract bootflash:Enterprise.tar

Enabling Licensed Features

You might have to enable a licensed feature to configure it. To enable a licensed feature, use the feature feature-name command in global configuration mode. For example, you can enable the BGP feature as follows: 

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# feature bgp

Identifying License Features in Use

Use the show license usage [package-name] command to identify all of the active features. 


switch# show license usage
Feature                      Ins  Lic   Status Expiry Date Comments
                                 Count
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   Yes   -   In use Never       -
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



switch# show license usage LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG
Application
-----------
bgp
msdp
ospf 
-----------

Note

Licenses are disabled if the system clock is reset. The show license usage command shows that the licensed feature is not enabled. To work around this behavior, reboot the device.

For Cisco Nexus 3000, 3500, 3600, and 9000 Series switches, the Comments field displays the time elapsed (in minutes and seconds) from when honor mode is enabled for a license package. This field is populated when a feature is enabled but the corresponding license is not installed. 

switch# show license usage 
Feature                       Ins     Lic   Status  Expiry Date  Comments
                                      Count                              
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FC_PORT_ACTIVATION_PKG        No      0     Unused                       -      
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   No      -     In use                Honor Start 0M 33S                    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For Cisco Nexus 7000 or 9000 Series switches, if “license missing” appears in the output of the show license usage command, the license file for your device is either not installed on the internal directory of the device or contains incorrect information. Complete these steps to resolve the issue:

  1. Validate that the license host ID and file match the chassis serial number.


    Note

    If these do not match and you see the log on two devices, the license files are most likely swapped between the chassis. Compare the host ID and serial numbers between each chassis and move the appropriate file to the correct chassis.

  2. Update the license file (.lic) with the file from the bootflash.

  3. If these steps do not work, clear the license SPROM with the clear license sprom command and reinstall the license.

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the show license usage vdc-all license-name command to identify the features active in a VDC for a specific license. 


switch# show license usage vdc-all LAN_ADVANCED_SERVICES_PKG
Application
-----------
bgp
ospf
bgp@2 
ospf@2
-----------

Note

The "@2" after the feature name in the show license usage vdc-all command output indicates that the feature is enabled in VDC 2.

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the show license usage vdc-all command from the default VDC to identify all of the active features in all VDCs. 


switch# show license usage vdc-all

Uninstalling Licenses

You can only uninstall a permanent license that is not in use. If you try to delete a permanent license that is currently being used, the software rejects the request and issues an error message.

When you enable a Cisco NX-OS software feature, it can activate a license grace period. Uninstalling an unused license causes the grace period to come into effect. The grace period is counted from the first use of the feature without a license and is reset when a valid license file is installed.

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you can uninstall a license only from the default VDC (VDC 1).


Note

Only users with the network-admin role can uninstall licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.


Note

Permanent licenses cannot be uninstalled if they are currently being used. Features turned on by permanent licenses must be disabled before that license is uninstalled.


Tip

If you are using an evaluation license and would like to install a new permanent license, you can do so without service disruption and before the evaluation license expires. Removing an evaluation license immediately triggers a grace period without service disruption.


Caution

You must disable the features that are related to the feature before uninstalling a license. The delete procedure fails if the license is in use.

Procedure

Step 1

Save your running configuration to a remote server by using the copy command. 


switch# copy running-config tftp://server/path/filename

Step 2

Display a list of all installed license key files and identify the file to be uninstalled by using the show license brief command. In this example, the file to be uninstalled is the Enterprise.lic file. 


switch# show license brief
Enterprise.lic

Step 3

Disable the features provided by the license to be uninstalled. Use the show license usage vdc-all package-name command to view the enabled features for a specified package. 


switch# show license usage vdc-all LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG 
Application
-----------
bgp
ospf
bgp@2
ospf@2
-----------

Note

 

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, if the feature names in the show license usage vdc-all command output are followed by "@" and a number, that means that the feature is enabled in a nondefault VDC and must be disabled from that VDC. The number after the feature name is the nondefault VDC identifier number. Use the show vdc command and switchto vdc command to reach the nondefault VDC where you can disable the features.

Step 4

Uninstall the Enterprise.lic file by using the clear license filename command, where filename is the name of the installed license key file. 


switch# clear license Enterprise.lic
Clearing license Enterprise.lic:
SERVER this_host ANY
VENDOR cisco

Step 5

Continue uninstalling the license by entering y for yes. 

 
Do you want to continue? (y/n) y 
Clearing license ..done

The Enterprise.lic license key file is now uninstalled.

Updating Licenses

If your license is time bound, you must obtain and install an updated license. Contact technical support to request an updated license.

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you can update the license only from the default VDC (VDC 1).


Note

If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchased support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html.


Note

Only users with the network-admin role can update licenses on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. Obtain the updated license file.
  2. Save your running configuration to a remote server by using the copy command.
  3. Verify the name of the file to be updated by using the show license brief command.
  4. Update the license file by using the update license {bootflash: | slot0: | usb0: | usb1:}new-license-filename old-license-filename command.
  5. Continue with the license update by entering y (yes is the default).
  6. (Optional) Enable licensed features, if necessary, by using the feature feature-name command in global configuration mode. For example, you can enable the BGP feature as follows:

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1

Obtain the updated license file.

Step 2

Save your running configuration to a remote server by using the copy command.

Step 3

Verify the name of the file to be updated by using the show license brief command. 


switch# show license brief
Enterprise1.lic

Step 4

Update the license file by using the update license {bootflash: | slot0: | usb0: | usb1:}new-license-filename old-license-filename command. 


switch# update license bootflash:Enterprise2.lic Enterprise1.lic

Note

 

Make sure to use the install command to install a new license and the update command to update a license.

Step 5

Continue with the license update by entering y (yes is the default). 


Do you want to continue? (y/n) y
Updating license ..done
switch#
The Enterprise1.lic license key file is now updated.

Step 6

(Optional) Enable licensed features, if necessary, by using the feature feature-name command in global configuration mode. For example, you can enable the BGP feature as follows: 

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# feature bgp
switch#

Configuring the Grace Period Feature

The grace period feature allows you to use licensed features that do not have a license key. By default, the license period feature is disabled. While the grace period feature is disabled, users cannot accidentally enable licensed features.


Note
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series and Cisco Nexus 3000 Series do not support the grace period feature.

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you can enable and disable the grace period only from the default VDC (VDC 1).

On a Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switch, the grace period gets automatically started for features that do not have a license key installed (even when the no license grace-period command is enabled).


Note
Starting from Cisco NX-OS Releases 8.2(4) and 8.4(1), Grace period is not supported on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches.

For the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series, the license grace-period command is enabled by default.


Note

Only users with the network-admin role can enable the grace period on Cisco NX-OS devices. For information on user accounts and roles, see the Security Configuration Guide for your platform.

Grace Period Alerts

The Cisco NX-OS software gives you a 120-day grace period. This grace period starts or continues when you are evaluating a feature for which you have not installed a license. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, the grace period applies to all VDCs on the physical device. If you start the grace period by enabling a licensed feature in one VDC, the grace period starts for all VDCs.

The grace period stops if you disable a feature that you are evaluating, but if you enable that feature again without a valid license, the grace period countdown continues where it left off.


Note
Starting from Cisco NX-OS Releases 8.2(4) and 8.4(1), Grace period is not supported on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches.

Note

To avoid service disruptions when you install the permanent license, do not disable the grace period by using the no license grace-period command. Instead, just install your new license. The license manager will automatically transition from grace licensing to the installed license.

Once the license manager is using your installed license, the grace period alerts will cease.

The grace period operates across all features in a license package. License packages can contain several features. If you disable a feature during the grace period and there are other features in that license package that are still enabled, the countdown does not stop for that license package. To suspend the grace period countdown for a license package, you must disable every feature in that license package. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you must disable the licensed features in all VDCs on the physical device. Use the show license usage vdc-all license-name command in the default VDC to determine which features to disable. 


switch# show license usage vdc-all LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG 
Application 
----------- 
bgp 
ospf
bgp@2 
ospf@2 
-----------

Note

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, if a feature name in the show license usage vdc-all command output is followed by "@" and a number, that means that the feature is enabled in a nondefault VDC and you must disable it from that VDC. The number after the feature name is the nondefault VDC identifier number. Use the show vdc command and switchto vdc command to reach the nondefault VDC where you can disable the feature.


Note

When you disable a feature or when the license grace period expires, the Cisco NX-OS software generates a checkpoint containing the feature configuration that you can use to reconfigure the feature when you reenable the license after you install the license or resume the grace period countdown. For more information on checkpoints, see the System Management Configuration Guide for your platform.

The Cisco NX-OS license counter keeps track of all licenses on a device. If you are evaluating a feature and the grace period has started, you will receive console messages, SNMP traps, system messages, and Call Home messages on a daily basis. The frequency of the messages becomes hourly during the last seven days of the grace period.

In addition to the grace period alerts, Cisco NX-OS will display a banner at login in the last 15 days of the grace period: 

NOTICE: NX-OS LICENSED FEATURES NEED ATTENTION
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feature                      Ins  Lic   Status Expiry Date Comments
                                 Count
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   No    -   In use             Grace 14D 6H
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** WARNING: License(s) about to expire. When license(s) expire,
all licensed conditional features will be disabled ****

During the last seven days of the grace period, the banner will include a prompt which you must dismiss before you can complete login: 

NOTICE: NX-OS LICENSED FEATURES NEED ATTENTION
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Feature                      Ins  Lic   Status Expiry Date Comments
                                 Count
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   No    -   In use             Grace 3D 23H
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
**** WARNING: License(s) about to expire. When license(s) expire,
all licensed conditional features will be disabled ****
 
CISCO TAC must be contacted asap for required licenses to prevent imminent
downtime/service disruption.
Please press Enter to confirm you understand this risk and wish to continue: [ENTER]

For example, if you enabled a licensed feature on January 30, you will receive grace period ending messages as follows:

  • Daily alerts from January 30 to May 21. Starting from May 15, Cisco NX-OS would display the banner at login.

  • Hourly alerts from May 22 to May 30. The login banner would require you to dismiss its prompt before you can complete login.

On May 31, the grace period ends, and the licensed feature is automatically disabled. You will not be allowed to use the licensed feature until you purchase a valid license.


Note

You cannot modify the frequency of the grace period messages.


Caution

After the final seven days of the grace period, the feature is turned off and your network traffic may be disrupted. Any future upgrade to Cisco NX-OS will enforce license requirements and the 120-day grace period.

Use the show license usage command to display grace period information for a device. 


switch# show license usage
Feature                      Ins  Lic   Status Expiry Date Comments
                                 Count 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
LAN_ADVANCED_SERVICES_PKG     Yes   -   In use Never       - 
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   No    -   In use             Grace 119D 22H 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enabling the License Grace Period

Enable the grace period feature by using the license grace-period command: 

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# license grace-period

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you can only enable the grace period feature from the default VDC.

Disabling the License Grace Period

To disable the grace period, you must disable all features that use the license grace period. Otherwise, the Cisco NX-OS software rejects the request and issues an error message.


Note

To avoid service disruptions, you should not disable the grace period before you install a permanent license.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. Display the licenses using the grace period by using the show license usage command. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you must work in the default VDC.
  2. Disable the features provided by the license using the grace period. Display the enabled features for a specified package by using the show license usage package-name command. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the show license usage vdc-all package_name in the default VDC to view the enabled features in all VDCs.
  3. Disable the grace period.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1

Display the licenses using the grace period by using the show license usage command. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, you must work in the default VDC. 


switch# show license usage
Feature                      Ins  Lic   Status Expiry Date Comments
                                 Count
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAN_ADVANCED_SERVICES_PKG     Yes   -   In use Never       -
LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG   No    -   In use             Grace 119D 22H
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Step 2

Disable the features provided by the license using the grace period. Display the enabled features for a specified package by using the show license usage package-name command. For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, use the show license usage vdc-all package_name in the default VDC to view the enabled features in all VDCs. 


switch# show license usage vdc-all LAN_ENTERPRISE_SERVICES_PKG
Application
-----------
bgp
ospf
bgp@2
ospf@2
-----------

Note

 

For the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series, if a feature name in the show license usage vdc-all command output is followed by "@" and a number, that means that the feature is enabled in a nondefault VDC and you must disable it from that VDC. The number after the feature name is the nondefault VDC identifier number. Use the show vdc command and switchto vdc command to reach the nondefault VDC where you can disable the feature.

When you disable a feature or when the license grace period expires, the Cisco NX-OS software generates a checkpoint containing the feature configuration that you can use to reconfigure the feature when you reenable the license after you install the license or reenable the grace period. For more information on checkpoints, see the System Management Configuration Guide for your platform.

Step 3

Disable the grace period. 

switch# configure terminal
switch(config)# no license grace-period

Port-License Feature Configuration

Port license are hardware licenses that are independent of any Cisco NX-OS or ACI software feature sets or software licenses.

Port licenses will be in out-of-compliance state when you move from a traditional license to a Smart Software License.

Command

Purpose

port-license

Changes the license state of an ineligible port to eligible.

port-license acquire

Acquires license for a port and changes the license state to acquired.

no port-license

Releases the license for a port, if the port has acquired a license, and then change its license state to eligible. If the port has not acquired a license, this command changes the license state of the port to ineligible.

no port-license acquire

Releases the license for a port, if the port has acquired a license, and then change its license state to eligible. If the port has not acquired a license, this command changes the license state of the port to ineligible.

Associating a License with a Module

You must associate a module-based license with a module to enable the licensed features on that module.

Before you begin

  • Ensure you have installed the correct license.

  • Ensure you are in the correct VDC.

  • Ensure you have met all required prerequisites for the feature. See the appropriate feature documentation for details.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. license fcoe module module-number

DETAILED STEPS

Command or Action Purpose

license fcoe module module-number

Example:

switch(config)# license fcoe module 2

Associates the module-based license with the module.

License Transfers Between Devices

A license is specific to the physical device for which it is issued and is not valid on any other physical device. If you need to transfer a license from one physical device to another, contact your customer service representative.


Note

If you have a single supervisor module on your Cisco NX-OS device and you replace the supervisor module, you must reinstall the license key file.

If you are evaluating a license when you replace the supervisor module, the grace period of the license is usually set to 120 days. On a dual supervisor system, the grace period of the license will be overwritten from the existing active supervisor module to the new standby supervisor module.


Note

If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchased support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html

Verifying the License Configuration

To display the license configuration information, perform one of the following tasks:

Command

Purpose

show license [brief]

Displays information for all installed license files.

show license feature package mapping

Displays information about features available in installed license packages.

Note

 
The Cisco Nexus 9000 Series and the Cisco Nexus 3164Q switches do not support this command.

show license file

Displays information for a specific license file.

show license host-id

Displays the host ID for the physical device.

show license usage [license-package]

Displays the usage information for installed licenses.

Release History for Licensing

This table lists the release history for this feature.

Table 1. Release History for Licensing

License

Release

Notes

Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) add-on license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 10.1(2)

Support for the SyncE add-on license.

C1P1TN9500M4-3Y

C1P1TN9500M4-5Y

C1P1TN9500M816-3Y

C1P1TN9500M816-5Y (not ACI)

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(5)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switches.

SyncE add-on license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(5)

Introduced Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) add-on license for the Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX3S platform switch.

ACI-SEC-XF license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(5)

Added support for Secure VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site using CloudSec licensing.

Note

 

Secure VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site using CloudSec licensing support is available with the ACI-SEC-XF license.

Note

 

For Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(5), Secure VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site using CloudSec is supported only on Cisco Nexus 9300-FX2 platform switches,

ACI-STRG, C1-N9K-STRG-XF-3Y, and C1-N9K-STRG-XF-5Y licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 93180YC-FX platform switch.

N3K-STR2K9 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3408-S and 3432D-S switches.

N93-LAN1K9-XF2 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9300-GX switches.

NX-OS Advantage license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3132Q (excluding the 3132Q-40GE), 3172, 3172PQ, 3172TQ, 31128PQ, 3100-V, 3232C, 3264Q, and 3500 switches.

Note

 

The Cisco Nexus 3132Q, 3172, 3172PQ, and 3172TQ platform switches support the NX-OS Advantage license only when running in N9K mode. You can view the switch mode using the show system switch-mode command.

NXOS-ES-XF2 and NXOS-AD-XF2 licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9300-GX switches.

NXOS-SEC-XF license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(3)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 93216TC-FX2 and 93360YC-FX2 platform switches.

C1P1TN9300GF-3Y

C1P1TN9300GF-5Y

C1P1TN9300XF-3Y

C1P1TN9300XF-5Y

C1P1TN9300XF2-3Y

C1P1TN9300XF2-5Y

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(2)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9300 Series switches.

Honor mode syslog in the output of the show license usage command

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(1)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 3000, 3500, 3600, and 9000 Series switches.

NX-OS Advantage license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(1)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 3132C-Z, 3264C-E, 3636C-R, and 36180YC-R switches.

NX-OS Essentials license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(1)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 3132C-Z, 3132Q (excluding the 3132Q-40GE), 3172, 3172PQ, 3172TQ, 31128PQ, 3100-V, 3232C, 3264C-E, 3264Q, 3464C, 34180YC, 3500, 3636C-R, and 36180YC-R switches.

NX-OS Essentials and Advantage licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(1)

Recommended that the -XF2 licenses be purchased for Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches and Cisco Nexus 9364C switches.

NXOS-SEC-XF license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.3(1)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 9332C, 9348C-FXP, and 9364C platform switches.

DCN (ACI+NX-OS) Essentials and Advantage license packages and add-on licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(3)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9300 platform switches.

N3K-LAN2K9 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(3)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3264C-E and 3464C switches.
N3K-STR1K9 license Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(3) Added support for the Cisco Nexus 34180YC switch.

N3K-STR2K9 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(3)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3464C switch.

N9K-LIC1-24P, N9K-EX-24P-UPG=, and N9K-FX-24P-UPG= licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(3)

Added these 24-port licenses for the Cisco Nexus 93108TC-EX, 93108TC-FX, 93180YC-EX, and 93180YC-FX switches.

N3K-LAN2K9 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(2v)

 Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3432D-S switch.

N3K-LAN2K9 license

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(2t)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3408-S switch.

NXOS-SEC-XF license

 Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 9.2(1) Added this license for Cisco Nexus 9000 Series ToR switches that support MACsec.

Honor Mode Licensing

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 8.4(1)

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 8.2(4)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches.

ENHANCED_LAYER2_PKG license

Cisco NX-OS Release 8.2(1)

iCAM feature is available under the ENHANCED_LAYER2_PKG license on Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches.

N95-FAB1K9 and N3K-FAB1K9 licenses

Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)F3(3)

Added support for the InterAS option B and MPLS Layer 3 VPN features.

N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco NX-OS Release 7.0(3)F3(1)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3600 platform switches.

ACI Premier license packages

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(7)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9300 Series switches.

NX-OS Essentials and Advantage licenses

Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(7)

The -XF2 licenses now have priority over the -XF licenses for Cisco Nexus 3000 and 3600 Series switches and Cisco Nexus 9364C switches.

NXOS-ES-XF2, NXOS-AD-XF2, and NXOS-NDB licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(6)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9364C switch.

N93-LAN1K9-XF2 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(6)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9364C switch.

NX-OS Essentials and Advantage license packages and NX-OS upgrade licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(3)

Introduced for the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches.

NXOS-SEC-XM license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(2)

Added support for the MACsec feature for Cisco EoR switches.

FC NPV and FCoE NPV licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(2)

Added support for FC and FCoE NPV.

N95-FAB1K9 and N93-FAB1K9 licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(1)

Added support for the Pervasive Load Balancing, Tenant Routed Multicast, and VXLAN EVPN Multi-Site features.

N93-1G-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(1)

Introduced this license for the Cisco Nexus N9K-C9348GC-FXP switch.

N95-SERVICES1K9 and N93-SERVICES1K9

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I7(1)

Added support for the iCAM feature.

N3K-FAB1K9, N95-FAB1K9, and N93-FAB1K9 licenses

Cisco Nexus 3000 and 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I6(1)

Added support for the Layer 3 EVPN over segment routing MPLS feature.

N95-SERVICES1K9 and N93-SERVICES1K9 licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I6(1)

 Added support for the catena and smart channel features.

N93-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I4(2)

Added support for the non-blocking multicast (NMB) feature on Cisco Nexus 9236C, 9272Q, and 92160YC-X switches.

N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I4(1)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3100-V switches.

N95-FNPV1K9 license and N93-FNPV1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I3(1)

Added these licenses to support FCoE NPV on Cisco Nexus 9500 and 9300 Series switches.

N93-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I3(1)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 9200 Series switches.

N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 3232C and 3264Q NX-OS Release 7.0(3)IX1(2)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3232C and 3264Q switches.

N3172T-32T-LIC, N3172T-16T-UPG

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I2(1)

N3172T-32T-LIC is the default 32-port license for Cisco Nexus 3172TQ switches. N3172T-16T-UPG is the 16-port upgrade license for Cisco Nexus 3172TQ switches. This is the upgrade license to enable 16 ports and it can only be applied to N3K-C3172TQ-32T.

N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I2(1)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 31128PQ switch and the Cisco Nexus 3100 Series switches in N9K mode.

N95-LAN1K9 and N93-LAN1K9 licenses

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I2(1)

Added support for PIM bidirectional mode and Source-Specific Multicast (SSM) mode.

N6K-SERVICES1K9, N56-SERVICES1K9, and N55-SERVICES1K9

Cisco Nexus 5500, 5600, and 6000 Series NX-OS Release 7.2(0)N1(1)

Added these licenses to support the Intelligent Traffic Director (ITD) and Remote Integrated Services Engine (RISE) on the Cisco Nexus 5500, 5600 and 6000 Series switches.

N95-SERVICES1K9 license and N93-SERVICES1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I1(2)

Added these licenses to support the Intelligent Traffic Director (ITD) on the Cisco Nexus 9500 and 9300 Series switches.

N95-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I1(2)

Added VXLAN and BGP eVPN control plane support for the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switches.

FCoE F3 Series

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 7.2(0)D1(1)

Added licenses for FCoE on F3 Series modules.

MPLS

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 7.2(0)D1(1)

Added license for MPLS on Cisco Nexus 7700 switches.

N93-LAN1K9 license and N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 7.0(3)I1(1)

Added support for the BGP eVPN control plane for the Cisco Nexus 9300 Series switches and the Cisco Nexus 3164Q switch.

N95-LAN1K9 license, N93-LAN1K9 license, and N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(2)I3(1)

Added support for policy-based routing.

N3K-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(2)I2(2a)

Added support for the Cisco Nexus 3164Q switch.

N93-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(2)I2(1)

Added the license for the Cisco Nexus 9300 Series switches.

N95-LAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(2)I1(1)

Added the license for the Cisco Nexus 9500 Series switches.

N77-LAN1K9 license

N77-VDC1K9 license

N77-EL21K9 license

N77-SAN1K9 license

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 6.2(2)

Added licenses for the Cisco Nexus 7718 switch and the Cisco Nexus 7710 switch.

Layer 3 Base Services Package

Cisco Nexus 3548 Switch NX-OS Release 5.0(3)A1(1)

Added the Cisco Nexus 3548 Layer 3 Base License.

Layer 3 Enterprise Services Package

Cisco Nexus 3548 Switch NX-OS Release 5.0(3)A1(1)

Added the Cisco Nexus 3548 Layer 3 Enterprise License.

NAT, Warp Mode, Warp SPAN

Cisco Nexus 3548 Switch NX-OS Release 5.0(3)A1(1)

Added the new 3500 Algo Boost License.

N7K-C7004-XL license

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(2)

Added the Cisco Nexus 7004 Scalable Feature License.

VDC and FCoE F2 Series

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 6.1(1)

Added licenses for VDCs and FCoE on F2 Series modules.

Removed Cisco TrustSec from the Advanced Services Package.

MPLS, LISP, and FCoE

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 5.2(1)

Added licenses for the MPLS, LISP, and FCoE features.

Grace period

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS Release 4.2(1)

Automatic checkpoints are created for configured licensed features when the grace period expires.