CUCM 8.6 License Mac Changes when modifying NTP Server

[aldredbenedict]

Hello all,

I have a very strange issue with CUCM 8.6 License MAC. I deleted one of the NTP Servers in CUCM as that server is no longer active, and License MAC changed. As a result, my license becomes invalid. Have anybody experienced this before, and how do I resolve this issue?

[Rob Huffman · Accepted solution]

Hi Aldred,

With VMware the license is created in a different manner that's why you are

seeing this new "license mac" reference;

Send an email to;

licensing@cisco.com

to get the license re-hosted

Customer Impact from New Licensing Procedures

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Cisco   Unified Communications Manager on VMware on Cisco UCS B-Series Blade   Servers uses a different licensing model than Cisco Unified   Communications Manager on an MCS server. The MAC address of the NIC  card  is no longer used to associate the license to the server.

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Instead,   the license gets associated to a license MAC, which is a 12 digit HEX   value created by hashing the following parameters that you configure on   the server:

#

•Time zone

#

•NTP server 1 (or "none")

#

•NIC speed (or "auto")

#

•Hostname

#

•IP Address (or "dhcp")

#

•IP Mask (or "dhcp")

#

•Gateway Address (or "dhcp")

#

•Primary DNS (or "dhcp")

#

•SMTP server (or "none")

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•Certificate Information (Organization, Unit, Location, State, Country)

This hash of these fields is called the LICENSE MAC

Note : Once there is a change in any of the parameters that creates the License MAC, it will

give you 30 day grace period to generate a new license file for the CM based on new license

MAC.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/voice_ip_comm/cucm/install/8_0_2/install/cmins802.html#wp584709

Cheers!

Rob

"May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung" - Bob Dylan

[aldredbenedict]

Thanks Rob, I've contacted Cisco Licensing Team and had my license rehosted. Hopefully this information will assist others.

[Rob Huffman]

Hi Aldred,

Great work my friend! It's sounds like licensing must have been pretty

good to work with (I've always had great service from them as well!)

Cheers!

Rob

"May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung" - Bob Dylan

[Sebastian Stepponat]

Hi Rob,

can you confirm that after I delete the NTP server and add a new one the CUCM will work as before for another 30 days? We have to change the NTP in the whole UC environment of our customer whick also contains a contact center express. As you can imagine this is a critical component and should continue working anytime.

We have to change the NTP for CUCM, CUP, UCCX and Unity.

Cheers,

Sebastian

[Jaime Valencia]

Yes, you get 30 days, worst case scenario, you cannot get it licensed on such time (I see no logic reason to wait for that long), just configure the old settings, and that would make the old license MAC match with what you have installed.

HTH

java

if this helps, please rate

www.cisco.com/go/pdihelpdesk

[Sebastian Stepponat]

Thanks for your help!

[adamcrabb]

Unless of course the old NTP reference is no longer available then CUCM won't let you add it back in after you've deleted it.  If you need to change NTP servers my suggestion is to leave the original in place in the configuration and just add a second or third.  Then you won't end up needing to mess around with the licenses.

[olusojioyatayo]

Hello Adamcrabb,

Am havin a similar issue with My NTP not accessible, but i have a new NTP IP address that is accessible. How sure are u about adding the new address without voiding the license?

[Bowen Qin]

The Old License Mac contains in your old license file, just post your old license file, PAK or even SO. send it to cisco, they can help you to re-host your license to the new MAC.

[JoshuaKnicely]

Hi Rob.

I know that this post is fairly old, however, I have the same exact issue as the OP.  I contacted Licensing but they need my old MAC for my old License Files.

Where can I find this old MAC?

Thanks in advance.

Josh

[Aman Soi]

Hi Josh,

if u have got the server, from CLI through putty , u can run the command show status comamnd get License MAC else you can downlaod the license file and open in notepad and get there.

lastly, u can also View License file in system --licensing in Call manager administration

i have attached the snapshot.

regds,

aman

[JoshuaKnicely]

Thank you!  I'll see if this is what she is looking for.  I feel like I've already provided her this information, but I guess we'll see.

I appreciate your help.  I'll follow up one way or another.
 

[asalvador]

I am quite confused which I need to submit to cisco licensing.

The GUI based License MAC is different to CLI based License MAC.

What is the difference and what should I provide to Cisco?

[markhayek]

We had this same problem when addnig a SMTP server setting, the license MAC changed, thus we are getting the license file is invalid.  We have not been able to even remove the SMTP server address now, in attempt to revert back to a previous license MAC value.   Has anyone seen this occur, and is there a way to remove the SMTP setting ?  OR is a new license needed, and a reboot of entire cluster needed ? TAC is asking for the OLD license MAC, is that stored in a log or archive somewhere ?