ISE Licensing Query for redundant server

[Shams Jawaid]

Hi there,

I currently have 1 ISE server running with a base and device admin license. We are looking to add 1 additional server to the deployment for a redundant setup. Please could someone clarify whether an additional base & device admin license needs to be purchased for the standby ISE server?

Thanks!

[Jason Kunst]

The ISE licenses (BASE, PLUS, APEX) are per deployment not node.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/security/ise/2-1/admin_guide/b_ise_admin_guide_21/b_ise_admin_guide_20_chapter_0110.html#id_24977

[Shams Jawaid]

Thanks Jason, but I didn't quite understand - how does that translate licensing wise from an active/standby ISE setup?

From that link:

"Licenses are uploaded to the Primary Administration Node (PAN) and propagated to the other Cisco ISE nodes in the cluster. Licenses are centrally managed by the Administration node, the other nodes do not require separate licenses. If you have two Administration nodes deployed in a high-availability pair, you must ensure that each of them have the same license capabilities. Generate licenses with both UDIs and then add the licenses while each node is in a standalone or primary state."

Does this mean in a deployment of 2 nodes active/standby, each node requires a purchase of base + device admin license?

The part which confused me is that it says other nodes do not require separate licenses...

[Charlie Moreton · Accepted solution]

You purchase the license once for the deployment.

First and foremost, you must have a current, non-expired license.

The best way to accomplish this is to log in to the Licensing Portal:

https://slexui.cloudapps.cisco.com/SWIFT/LicensingUI/Quickstart

Click on Licenses.  Choose the license you would like to assign to both ISE Admin Nodes.

Note that I have selected two licenses, Base and Advanced.  You can only select ONE LICENSE at a time.  To Re-Host a Base, Plus, Apex, and Device Admin License, you must do this four times.

Then click Actions > Rehost/Transfer...

A new window will appear requesting the information from your new 3415 Appliance (you must have already installed ISE on the appliance):

You can find this information on the new ISE by going to CLI and issuing the command show udi.

This is all found in the ISE Admin Guide.

Cisco Identity Services Engine Administrator Guide, Release 2.1 - Cisco ISE Licenses [Cisco Identity Services Engine] -…

[Shams Jawaid]

Excellent thankyou! I was wondering how to license two nodes and this explains it. So in theory if I have 10 nodes I just need the base and device admin license to be purchased once and I can assign that to all 10 nodes in the deployment? As in is there a limit of a certain amount of nodes that can be licensed without having to purchase another license?

Thanks

[Charlie Moreton]

You only apply the licenses to the Primary Admin Node and the Secondary Admin Node.  These two nodes do the rest for you.  If you have a deployment of 25 ISE Nodes (2x Admin, 2x MnT, 21x PSN), the MnT and PSN nodes are joined to the deployment and all licensing is retrieved from the Admin Nodes (Primary Admin Node).