Table of Contents #

1. Introduction to License Reservation
2. Prerequisites for License Reservation
3. Types of License Reservation

• Permanent License Reservation
• Specific License Reservation

1. License Enforcement
2. Obtaining License Reservation Code
3. Enabling License Reservation
4. Reserving Licenses using Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM)

• Reserving Licenses with Permanent License Reservation
• Reserving Licenses with Specific License Reservation

1. Registering the Device Using Authorization Code
2. Verifying License Registration Status
3. Upgrading Licenses with Specific License Reservation
4. Removing License Authorization Code
5. Removing Authorization Code Post Factory Reset

Introduction to License Reservation #

Cisco’s License Reservation feature allows the deployment of smart licensed routers in highly secure and air-gapped environments by reserving node-locked licenses. Routers using Smart Licensing generally share information with Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) at regular intervals. However, in scenarios where direct communication is not possible or practical, License Reservation becomes an essential tool.

The License Reservation feature is available as part of Cisco IOS XE Cupertino 17.8.1 for Smart Licensing and can be particularly useful for highly secure environments where information sharing must be restricted. Cisco offers two types of license reservation:

1. Permanent License Reservation (PLR): A perpetual, universal license that provides access to all functionalities without the need for periodic communication with CSSM.
2. Specific License Reservation (SLR): Offers the flexibility to reserve specific feature licenses for specific devices, which is especially useful in restricted environments.

Prerequisites for License Reservation #

Before reserving licenses, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• Active Cisco.com Account: Access to an active Cisco.com account is essential.
• Smart Account Access: User or administrative access to a Smart Account is required to manage licenses. If you need access, refer to Requesting Access to a Smart Account.
• Understanding Products Supporting SLR: Familiarity with the products that support Specific License Reservation is needed. Refer to Identifying Products That Support SLR.

Types of License Reservation #

Cisco License Reservation provides two distinct methods for reserving licenses for Smart Licensing-enabled devices:

Permanent License Reservation #

Permanent License Reservation (PLR) provides a single universal license that activates all possible features and functionalities of a router. It has several benefits:

• Unlimited Licenses: Permanent licenses provide an unlimited quantity of licenses.
• Full Functionality: Activates all features in the router without requiring individual license purchases.
• No Periodic License Authority Access: Once activated, the permanent license does not require ongoing communication with the License Authority, making it ideal for air-gapped or highly secure environments.

The Permanent License Reservation process includes installing the license key to activate all product functionalities for your router. PLR is typically used for nodes where ongoing communication to CSSM is not feasible or desirable.

Specific License Reservation #

Specific License Reservation (SLR) allows the selection of particular licenses or features to be reserved for a device. Unlike PLR, which provides a “universal” license, SLR can be used to pick and activate specific functionalities. SLR is ideal for highly secure networks where communication to Cisco’s servers is limited.

• Selective Licensing: You can choose only the licenses required for the router’s operation.
• One-Time Authorization: Requires only one-time configuration and activation using CSSM.
• No Periodic Access: Similar to PLR, once authorized, SLR licenses need not be renewed or reauthorized unless there’s a significant change in the device configuration.

License Enforcement #

License enforcement is a mechanism that ensures the appropriate licenses are authorized and installed before a feature is used on Cisco devices. Cisco’s licensing system provides two mechanisms of enforcement:

• Hard Enforcement: In this mode, if the required licenses are not authorized, the associated features are disabled, preventing their use until an appropriate license is installed.
• Soft Enforcement: In soft enforcement scenarios, the router continues to operate even if licenses are unauthorized, but syslog messages are generated, and the license status is flagged as “Not Authorized.”

SLR is not enabled by default and must be specifically requested for activation.

Obtaining License Reservation Code #

To initiate the process of License Reservation, you first need to generate a License Reservation Code in the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM). Follow these steps:

1. Open a New Case in CSSM: Log in to Cisco’s Support Case Manager.
2. Select Software Licensing: Once in the case manager, select “Software Licensing” and proceed to generate the reservation code.

The reservation code must be used during the license reservation process in CSSM.

Enabling License Reservation #

To enable License Reservation on your Cisco device, perform the following steps:

1. Enable Privileged EXEC Mode

   Router# enable

Enter privileged EXEC mode.

2. Enter Global Configuration Mode

   Router# configure terminal

This command places the router into the global configuration mode.

3. Enable License Smart Reservation

   Router(config)# license smart reservation

This command enables License Reservation.

4. Exit Configuration Mode

   Router(config)# exit

5. Enable Smart Licensing

   Router(config)# license smart enable

6. Generate Request Code

   Router# license smart reservation request local

Generates a reservation request code that must be used in CSSM.

To cancel a License Reservation request, use the following command:

Router# license smart reservation cancel

Reserving Licenses Using Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) #

Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) is used to reserve licenses once the reservation request code is generated. Here are the detailed procedures for reserving licenses in CSSM:

1. Log in to CSSM: Access CSSM by logging in at Cisco Software Portal using your Cisco-provided credentials.
2. Navigate to Inventory: Click the Inventory tab and choose the appropriate virtual account.
3. Select License Reservation: From the Licenses tab, select License Reservation to access the reservation wizard.
4. Enter Request Code: Attach the request code generated from the router and click Next to proceed.

Reserving Licenses with Permanent License Reservation #

1. Select PLR: In the License Reservation wizard, select Permanent License Reservation (PLR).
2. Generate Authorization Code: Click the Generate Authorization Code button, which produces an authorization code file that must be installed on the router.
3. Copy or Download Authorization Code: Use Copy to Clipboard or Download as File to copy the authorization code.

Reserving Licenses with Specific License Reservation #

1. Check “Reserve a Specific License”: This option will display a list of licenses available in your virtual account.
2. Enter License Count: In the Reserve field, enter the number of licenses needed.
3. Generate Authorization Code: Generate an authorization code specific to the reserved license count.
4. Install Authorization Code: Register the authorization code on the router using the following command:

   Router# license smart reservation install file bootflash:<authfile.txt>

Registering the Device Using Authorization Code #

After obtaining the authorization code, follow these steps to complete the license reservation procedure:

1. Enable Privileged EXEC Mode

   Router# enable

Enter the privileged EXEC mode.

2. Install Authorization Code File

   Router# license smart reservation install file bootflash:<authfile.txt>

Use the authorization code copied or downloaded earlier to activate smart licensing reservation.

Verifying License Registration Status #

Once licenses are installed, you can verify the registration status using the following command:

Router# show license reservation

This command will display the current license reservation status, including the specific licenses installed and their respective enforcement types. Another useful command to check the license usage is:

Router# show license usage

Upgrading Licenses with Specific License Reservation #

Devices that have been registered can also have their licenses upgraded to include new features as required. To upgrade licenses:

1. Log in to CSSM: Navigate to Cisco Software Portal.
2. Select the Device: Under the Product Instances tab, select the device to upgrade.
3. Update Reserved Licenses: Click Update Reserved Licenses and follow the prompts to generate the new authorization code.
4. Install Authorization File: Use the command below to register the device with the new authorization code:

   Router# license smart reservation install file bootflash:<new_authfile.txt>

Removing License Authorization Code #

Removing a license from a device involves deregistering the installed authorization code and returning it to CSSM:

1. Generate Return Code: Use the following command to generate a return code for the instance:

   Router# license smart reservation return local

Confirm the action by entering “yes”.

2. Return the Code to CSSM: Log in to CSSM and navigate to the Inventory tab. Select Remove Product Instance to return the license authorization code.

Removing Authorization Code Post Factory Reset #

Before performing a factory reset, generate the reservation return code to notify Cisco Global Licensing Operations (GLO). If a router is reset without returning the code, it might move to an unregistered state, and CSSM will still display the product instance.

If you fail to return the code, use the following command post-factory reset to remove the router from CSSM:

Router# license smart reservation return authorization file <auth_code_file>

Alternatively, you can contact Cisco Support to manually remove the router instance from CSSM.

More Detailed Support contact our Expert #