C9800-CL + C9105 AP licensing

[Patrik Nechajev]

Hello,

i have freshly delivered C9800-cl and C9105 AP with DNA licenses. Cisco licensing is just different confusing world (at least for me :).
I have eDelivery documents, licenses and thats it. I found that new C9800-CL model is honour based, so WLC doesnt need any licenses and RTU (right to use) document is enough? No DNA license consumed from Smart Account needed?

Thank you and have a nice day.
Patrik

[Flavio Miranda]

Hello @Patrik Nechajev 

 If you mean the WLC itself, no, it does not require or consume licensing.

"Q. Do I need to license the 9800 controller itself?

A. No. Like on older AireOS based controllers, there is no special license for the 9800 controller itself (if no access points are joined to it).

You only need to license the Access Points that are joined to the controller.

However, it is the controller which communicates with Smart Licensing and it is the controller that verifies the licensing of all the joined access points."

You need license for Access Points only.

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/215635-licensing-on-9800-wireless-lan-controlle.html#anc4

[Patrik Nechajev]

Hello Flavio,

thank you for answer.
Yes i know that controller itself doesnt need any license. But as i mentioned, for AP's i have received only .pdf DNA licenses with right-to-use. I have no spare licenses in Smart Account which can be consumed by WLC when AP joins it. I have found this:

"Traditional Licensing vs SLUP
Smart Licensing Using Policy has been introduced to the Catalyst 9800 with the code version 17.3.2. The initial 17.3.2 release misses SLUP configuration menu in the WLC webUI, which was introduced with the 17.3.3 release. The SLUP is different from traditional smart licensing in couple of ways:

WLC now communicates with CSSM through smartreceiver.cisco.com domain, instead of the old tools.cisco.com
Instead of "Registering", the WLC now "Establishes Trust" with the CSSM or On-Prem SSM
CLI commands have been slightly altered
There is no Smart Licensing Reservation (SLR) anymore. Instead you can periodically report your usage manually
There is no evaluation mode anymore. The WLC continues to function at full capacity even without license. The system is honor based and you are supposed to report your license usage periodically"
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/217348-configure-troubleshoot-catalyst-9800-w.html 

[Flavio Miranda]

Cisco licensing became complex and this link you share seems to be doing a parallel between old and new licensing system. 

 On the link I shared , they mention:

"Q. Which license do I need for Access Points that are joined to my 9800 WLC?

A.Every AP joined to 9800 controller consumes one (1) AIR Network License and one (1) AIR DNA License.

    RTU  in the way we used to see on AirOS WLC does not exist on 9800. I mean, there´s no field to add AP number anymore.

 If they accept the fact you have a document and maybe add this information to smart account, I am not aware.  Did you add AP on this WLC ?

[Patrik Nechajev]

Hello Flavio,

no, i'm just preparing for deployment. I will open TAC case and ask them :).
Thank you for help.

[Flavio Miranda]

@Patrik Nechajev  that is a good alternative. 

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Patrik Nechajev wrote:
Cisco licensing is just different confusing world (at least for me :).

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It is not just confusing to you but to everyone else, including Cisco staff.

[Patrik Nechajev]

Once i will get used to it they will change it again. Sometimes i think that customer is their enemy....

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Patrik Nechajev wrote:
Once i will get used to it they will change it again. Sometimes i think that customer is their enemy....

---

I believe that is the objective.  

[Arshad Safrulla]

Hi,

Check with the Cisco partner to which smart account the licenses are assigned. If not assigned, please ask them to create a new smart account for your organization and make you as the admin. They can open a TAC case and do this for you, if not if you know the Cisco SO/PO numbers you can even open a case. You may access your smart account using the below link

https://software.cisco.com/software/csws/ws/platform/home?locale=en_US#

Make sure that you CCO ID (Cisco account) is associated to your company profile. If not follow the below

https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/collateral/associate-myself-with-a-company.pdf

Now once you have access to your smart account, make sure that the licenses are visible in the smart account as per your order with your partner.

You may follow the below document which covers all the Q&A related to licensing

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/wireless/catalyst-9800-series-wireless-controllers/215635-licensing-on-9800-wireless-lan-controlle.html

[Rich R]

Totally agreed Cisco smart licensing is confusing even for those of us who are (more or less) used to working with it now.  As Leo says even Cisco staff and TAC battle to understand it and you will sometimes get different answers from different people, not helped by the fact that there have been so many changes in different releases, and it's implemented differently on every platform and they've tried to lock it in with DNA.

@Arshad Safrulla has provided an excellent guide for you there.
Once you have it set up you should see your AP licenses in your smart account inventory on the licensing portal and once the WLC is registered with the portal it will request AP licenses for each AP which joins the WLC.

> "I found that new C9800-CL model is honour based"
NO, it is NOT anymore on 9800-CL.  It currently still is on the other 9800 WLCs but that could change in future releases.  But in 9800-CL there is already enforcement - see:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/wireless/controller/9800/17-9/config-guide/b_wl_17_9_cg/m-sl-using-policy.html#Cisco_Concept.dita_7d112493-86f2-4933-8d4b-c3ad35b0f6c6
From IOS-XE 17.7.1 onwards you are limited to 50 APs if the WLC does not have smart licensing enabled and working. So that will apply to current recommended version 17.9.3 and all future releases with the possibility it gets extended to other 9800 platforms at some point.

[Leo Laohoo]

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@Rich R wrote:
even Cisco staff and TAC battle to understand it and you will sometimes get different answers from different people, not helped by the fact that there have been so many changes in different releases, and it's implemented differently on every platform and they they've tried to lock it in with DNA.

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Agree with @Rich R, completely. 

Will see in the upcoming months what this new licensing scheme (with Hardware Maintenance) is going to be like. 

A lot of switches and APs have Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty included in the cost.  So this new licensing scheme WITH Hardware Maintenance would mean customers will now pay for RMA (on top of the free Limited Lifetime Hardware Warranty).