Cisco 2901 with ucK9 license, enabling SIP without enabling CUBE RTU license for ITSP connectivity

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Team,

I have requirement, where the customer has Cisco 2901 VG router and now he want to upgrade his PRI to SIP.

I know we can use basic Cube functionality  without  enabling  RTU cube license..

Just want to understand.. how risky it would be..

Best Regards

Anil Singh

[TONY SMITH]

Not sure what you mean by "risk",  there's no licence actually installed on the router for CUBE so the router functionality isn't changed.  Why doesn't the customer want to buy the required licences?

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Tony,

Thanks for you reply..

Actually the customer is going for upgrade the hardware to 4431 in next 6-8 month.. but before that.. he want to change its PRI to SIP.. and check the functionality..

but he doesn't  want to purchase RTU license.. for that..

So , I just want to ascertain the real challenge of this command..

"Border mode element", As per Cisco link,

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios/voice/command/reference/vr_book/vr_m3.html#wp1396382

the relevant command for CUBE will only not work.. means..

Router(config)# voice service voip

Router(conf-voi-serv)# media monitoring 200 

#media transcoder high-density

Not sure, how it will impact my design.. but I have worked in past with cisco CUBE of ISR 2900 router  and did not enable CUBE feature and everything  worked there..

Now , I need to confirm this to the customer.. so little bit cautious..

also, going through cisco support forum threat.. and not getting any clear cut answer..

Best Regards

Anil Singh

[anilkumar.cisco]

also, as per this link..
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios-xml/ios/voice/cube/configuration/cube-book/voi-cube-overview.html
after enabling this command, you can see the cube status..

"Displays the CUBE status, the software version, the license capacity, the image version, and the platform name of the device. The CUBE status display is enabled only if the mode border-element command is configured with call license capacity."
which is not relevant to any configuration restriction..
so I am little bit confuse.. what is the really use of this command.. or shall I request the customer to purchase this license or not.. as without this also my setup would work for ITSP connectivity..
Kindly advise.

[TONY SMITH]

I don't know what you want us to say.  If you're a Cisco Partner you shouldn't be advising the customer to break Cisco's licence terms.

[anilkumar.cisco · Accepted solution]

Definitely.. I got my answer.. seems it is very big guff up on this platform.. for which Cisco has developed 4300 ISR G2 hardware with CUBE as a different additional license on top of that..
thanks very much..

[TONY SMITH]

The licensing model on the ISR4xxx is exactly the same.  The ordering SKUs are different, and there's now SWSS.  But it's still RTU.

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Tony,
thanks for your information..
Was just going through the below link, as per this.. CUBE 12.5 onwards , all licenses including CUBE will be loaded to the customer smart account portal, thus CUBE will be no any more RTU license license..

https://community.cisco.com/t5/ip-telephony-and-phones/4300-cube-licensing/td-p/3022418

Kindly advise.. as I am confused now..

[Roger Kallberg]

Not much to be confused about, the video in your link is quite clear. From Cube 12.5 and onwards it uses smart licensing and from mid 2019 you cannot buy the old SKUs.

[anilkumar.cisco]

Hello Roger,
As per video , only new SKU which is smart licensing based would be available for ordering.. so there is no point of RTU license for CUBE

do let me know if my understanding is correct..

Best Regards
Anil Singh

[Roger Kallberg]

Correct. You can only buy the new SKUs as it’s past the date when you could select between both.