ISR4300 Unable to remove AdvUCSuiteK9

[lukeberkheiser]

Hello all,

I have an ISR4331 that was running 16.9.x software and that had the Suite AdvUCSuiteK9 activated previously. I do not use or need that feature. As part of the upgrade to 16.12 or higher, Smart Licensing is mandatory. When I upgrade and register the device, Smart Licensing reports "insufficient licenses" because of that Suite. 

I tried to disable this Suite, but every time I disable it and reload, it comes back. I've tried in 16.9 and in 17.3.5 with the same result. I tried with: 

(config)#no license boot suite AdvUCSuiteK9
(config)#end
#write mem
#reload

And with: 

(config)#license boot suite AdvUCSuiteK9 disable
(config)#end
#write mem
#reload

I don't get any error message when I apply the command, and after doing a write mem, show version shows that the suite should be "None" after the next reboot. And when I reload, it comes back. 

Suite                 Suite Current         Type           Suite Next reboot    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FoundationSuiteK9     None                  None           None                 
securityk9
appxk9

AdvUCSuiteK9          AdvUCSuiteK9          RightToUse     None                 

I found a post that was similar, but that used license reservation, which is not my case. I tried anyway to follow the instructions, but the command "license smart reservation" doesn't exist in 17.3.x.

Anyone have an idea how to disable this License Suite?

Thanks,

Luke

[Flavio Miranda]

Try this one:

license right-to-use move AdvUCSuiteK9

[lukeberkheiser]

I saw that command, but it says "Move to permanent mode". That doesn't sound like what I want to do, I want to remove this feature, not make it permanent. Are you sure about this?

[lukeberkheiser]

I tried it anyway, but it doesn't change anything: 

Router#license right-to-use move AdvUCSuiteK9
% License is already in RightToUse state

[Leo Laohoo · Accepted solution]

---

@lukeberkheiser wrote:

When I upgrade and register the device, Smart Licensing reports "insufficient licenses" because of that Suite. 

---

Contact your Cisco AM/SE and get them to work "internally" for Smart License (CSL) to remove this suite.

Alternatively, factory-reset the router.  

[lukeberkheiser]

Thanks Leo. I tried the "factory-reset all" command and it worked perfectly. The only thing to be careful with is that after you've booted back into an IOS image, change the config register, as it gets value 0x8000 which tells it to ignore all contents of NVRAM.

Note that I also had a TAC case opened, and they came back to me later with a solution in ROMMON: 

rommon 1 > set
PS1=rommon ! >
ETHER_SPEED_MODE=4
TFTP_RETRY_COUNT=20
MCP_STARTUP_TRACEFLAGS=00000000:00000000
EULA_ACCEPTED=TRUE
?=1
LICENSE_MODE=SL_ONLY
CRASHINFO=bootflash:crashinfo_RP_00_00_20190408-100115-UTC
THRPUT=2000000
SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG=1
DEVICE_MANAGED_MODE=autonomous
RET_2_RTS=
LICENSE_BOOT_LEVEL=appxk9,appxk9:esg;securityk9,securityk9:esg;
BOOT=bootdlash,1;bootflash:isr4400-universalk9.16.09.04.SPA.bin,1;bootflash:isr4400-universalk9.17.03.03.SPA.bin,1;
LICENSE_SUITE=FoundationSuiteK9,AdvUCSuiteK9,;
BSI=0
RANDOM_NUM=2009148302
RET_2_RCALTS=1651233595
rommon 2 > LICENSE_SUITE=
rommon 3 > sync
rommon 4 > reset

I didn't try this option, but it might be useful to someone else. 

[Leo Laohoo]

---

@lukeberkheiser wrote:

BOOT=bootdlash,1;bootflash:isr4400-universalk9.16.09.04.SPA.bin,1;bootflash:isr4400-universalk9.17.03.03.SPA.bin,1;

---

The boot variable string is very "dirty":  There are invalid boot variable statement that needs to be taken off. 

Next, avoid using Bundle Mode because it uses more memory and takes longer to boot up.  

Read this:  Cisco ISR & ASR 1k Routers: IOS-XE/Firmware Upgrade (Install Mode)

---

@lukeberkheiser wrote:

SWITCH_IGNORE_STARTUP_CFG=1

---

Make sure to change the value to 0. 

---

@lukeberkheiser wrote:

LICENSE_SUITE=FoundationSuiteK9,AdvUCSuiteK9,;

---

The UC License will get enabled after the bootup.  If this is not needed, it needs to be removed.