FAQ: Published September 20, 2022

Cisco Internal/Disti/Partner Use Only

Catalyst 8000:
Cisco DNA Subscriptions and
Licensing FAQ

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 FAQ: Published September 20, 2022
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Contents
Ordering Cisco DNA Subscription ................................................................................................................................... 3
Choosing Cisco DNA Subscription Tiers .......................................................................................................................... 7
Feature/License Mapping & Parity ................................................................................................................................. 9
Cisco DNA License Portability/Migration ...................................................................................................................... 10
Cisco DNA License upgrade (Throughput/Package/Term Upgrades) ............................................................................ 13
Smart Licensing and License Consumption ................................................................................................................... 16
Stocking ........................................................................................................................................................................ 20

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Ordering Cisco DNA Subscription

Q. How is software license procurement changing from ASR1K/ISR4K to Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms (C8k)?
ASR1k and ISR4k have 2 primary modes for purchasing licenses: Classic Perpetual Licenses (SEC, UC, APP, etc.) and
Cisco DNA Subscription Licenses. With the Catalyst 8000 Family, only Cisco DNA Subscriptions are offered. However,
the capabilities within those classic perpetual licenses are all included in the network stack that is part of the Cisco
DNA subscriptions in C8k.

Catalyst 8000 Family – Cisco DNA Packaging

Cisco DNA Essentials Cisco DNA Advantage

Cisco DNA Cisco DNA

Network Stack Network Stack
Software Stack Software Stack
Perpetual Perpetual
Term (3/5Y) Term (3/5/7Y)

Q. What are the benefits of a Cisco DNA subscription?

A. Benefits include:
• Simplified licensing and consistent terminology across Cisco’s IBN portfolio (Cisco DNA subscriptions with
Essentials, Advantage, and Premier, including components of network stack and Cisco DNA software stack)
• “Better together” pricing can provide lower initial costs and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over the
software lifecycle
• Software license agility means licenses are portable across different hardware
• Consistent feature packaging within C8k (e.g., Cisco DNA Advantage provides the same feature entitlement across
C8300, C8500, and C8000v).

Q. How do I order Cisco DNA subscriptions for the Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms (C8k)?
A. Cisco DNA subscriptions for Catalyst 8500 Series Edge Platforms (C8500) are ordered through L-DNA-C8500. Cisco DNA
subscriptions for Catalyst 8300 Series Edge Platforms (C8300) are ordered through L-DNA-C8300. For more details, please
refer to:

C8500 ordering guide: https://salesconnect.cisco.com/open.html?c=224d1864-f9e0-4b27-b8a0-4246af8680fc

C8300 ordering guide: https://salesconnect.cisco.com/open.html?c=1900c570-beda-438e-8b57-5c9e6b00bc43

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Q. Is a software subscription license mandatory for Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms? What options are available to
customers?
A. Software subscription is mandatory for Cisco Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms at the initial time of purchase of the
hardware. The software subscription is mandatory for both Autonomous mode (traditional routing) and Controller mode
(SD-WAN). To enable all advanced Cisco DNA capabilities, customers will require Cisco DNA Advantage or Cisco DNA
Premier. In contrast, Cisco DNA Essentials offers basic automation, configuration, and management capabilities.

Q. Why is Cisco moving more and more network features and functionality to software?
A. Organizations are digitally transforming to improve customer experience, empower workforce productivity, accelerate
innovation, and sharpen creative differentiation. To succeed, organizations must become agile, able to respond quickly and
flexibly to market changes and customer demands. Software-based, programmable capability enables this degree of agility.
Just as Cisco’s customers are themselves becoming more software-centric, they are seeking technology partners to help
them. Cisco recognizes this trend and is shifting Cisco’s portfolio toward software, offering our customers simpler ways to
purchase, deploy, adopt, and upgrade technology innovations. Cisco’s software-centric innovation fuels our customers’
digital transformations.

Q. What entitlements are included in Cisco DNA subscriptions for Catalyst 8000?
A. Cisco DNA subscriptions include a perpetual network stack license and a term-based Cisco DNA software stack license. Even
after a subscription term expires, customers will retain the network stack entitlement. After the subscription term expires,
the Cisco DNA software stack would have to be renewed by renewing the Cisco DNA Subscription. For any controller-led,
(e.g., vManage, Cisco DNA Center) orchestration capabilities, an active Cisco DNA software stack entitlement is mandatory.

Q. What are the entitlements of the network stack?

A. The network stack provides entitlements for non-SD-WAN features (autonomous mode). The network stack is a perpetual
license. See network stack feature packaging here: https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/products/software/sd-wan-routing-
matrix.html?oid=otren019258

Q. What are the entitlements of the Cisco DNA software stack?

A. The Cisco DNA software stack entitlements are listed here: https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/products/software/sd-wan-
routing-matrix.html?oid=otren019258

Q. What do the Network Stack and Cisco DNA Software Stack SKUs look like in CCW?
A. Network stack license follows this format: NWSTACK-XX-Y, where XX is the throughput tier (T0 to T3), and Y is the package
(E/A/P)

Cisco DNA software stack license follows this format: DSTACK-XX-Y, XX is the throughput tier (T0 to T3), and Y is the package
(E/A/P).

After choosing the Cisco DNA subscription in CCW, the corresponding network stack and Cisco DNA software stack will be
auto-populated in the BOM.

See below examples of Tier 0 and Tier 3 subscriptions with their corresponding network stack and Cisco DNA software stack
entitlements.

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Perpetual Term-Based

Cisco DNA Subscriptions Network Stack Tag Cisco DNA Software Stack Tag

DNA-P-T0-A-3Y

DNA-P-T0-A-5Y
Tier0 NWSTACK-T0-A DSTACK-T0-A
DNA-C-T0-A-3Y

DNA-C-T0-A-5Y

DNA-P-T3-A-3Y

DNA-P-T3-A-5Y
Tier3 NWSTACK-T3-A DSTACK-T3-A
DNA-C-T3-A-3Y

DNA-C-T3-A-5Y

Q. Can I use my Cisco DNA subscription for SD-WAN?

A. Yes, the Cisco DNA software stack provides entitlements for Cisco SD-WAN. Please refer to Cisco DNA software stack
feature packaging for Cisco SD-WAN features in Essentials vs Advantage vs Premier.

Q. Can I use my Cisco DNA subscription for non-SD-WAN?

A. Yes, the network stack provides entitlements for non-SD-WAN features. Please refer to network stack feature packaging for
non-SD-WAN features in Essentials vs Advantage vs Premier.

Q. What do I buy for Cisco DNA Center based management?

A. The Cisco DNA software stack in a Cisco DNA subscription provides the entitlements for Cisco DNA Center (DNA-C) based
management. Please refer to Cisco DNA software stack feature packaging for DNA-C features in Essentials vs Advantage vs
Premier.

Q. What do I buy if I plan to use my device in autonomous mode (without controller) only?
A. The network stack provides entitlement for autonomous mode. The network stack is a component of the Cisco DNA
subscription. Note that, at the initial purchase of the Catalyst 8000 platform customers shall purchase a Cisco DNA license
to unlock network stack capabilities.

Q. What if I don’t buy a Cisco DNA subscription at the time of purchase of Catalyst 8000?
A. Purchasing the hardware alone does not provide entitlements to use the device in either the Controller or the Autonomous
mode. A Cisco DNA subscription is needed to enable the software capabilities supported. A network stack is needed for

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Autonomous mode and a Cisco DNA software stack is needed for Controller mode operation. These licenses are included as
part of a Cisco DNA software subscription. Term-based licenses are mandatory for Catalyst 8000 Family at the initial time of
purchase to unlock any capabilities.

Q. What happens after the Cisco DNA subscription term expires?

A. Cisco DNA subscription is comprised of the network stack and the Cisco DNA software stack. The network stack entitlement
remains for perpetuity, i.e., it will remain after subscription term expiry. The Cisco DNA software stack is term-based and
will expire after the term expires. The Cisco DNA software stack provides entitlements for both SD-WAN and Cisco DNA
Center based management.

Q. What are my entitlements (bandwidth, features, etc.) after the Cisco DNA subscription term expires? What is the
bandwidth after subscription term expires?
A. After a Cisco DNA subscription term expires, the features from the network stack will remain for perpetuity. Network stack
provides the features for non-SD-WAN use cases (see network stack feature packaging). The Cisco DNA software stack
provides entitlements for Cisco SD-WAN and Cisco DNA Center (see Cisco DNA stack feature packaging). The bandwidth
that is available after the subscription term expires is the same as that of the Cisco DNA subscription.

Q. What do I buy for Cisco DNA Center management?

A. Entitlement for Cisco DNA Center management is included as part of the Cisco DNA software stack of a Cisco DNA
subscription. The Cisco DNA software stack is a term-based license, and entitlement for Cisco DNA Center management will
expire once the term expires.

Q. Is co-terming allowed with Cisco DNA subscriptions?

A. Co-terming is not allowed with transactional Cisco DNA subscriptions. EA and MSLA are eligible for co-terming.
Q. Why do I have to select software mode (autonomous/controller) in the hardware order?
A. Software mode selection at the hardware SKU will determine how manufacturing will ship out the device at the factory.
However, customer can change the software mode any time after they receive the device.

Q. Why do I have to select the software mode (autonomous/controller) in the software subscription (L-DNA-C8300 and L-
DNA-C8500)?
A. Software mode selection at the software subscription SKU will determine whether a controller spin-up is required.

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Choosing Cisco DNA Subscription Tiers

Q. What traffic should be considered for the bandwidth entitlement selection with a Cisco DNA subscription license?
A. Please choose a bandwidth license based on the following scenarios:
SDWAN -> Choose BW tier based on all WAN Traffic (any combination of below):
• IPSEC between SDWAN sites
• IPSEC to zScaler, SIG, or any other non-SDWAN IPSEC
• GRE Traffic (no Crypto)
• Direct Internet Traffic (no Crypto)
• Basically, any traffic in the Transport VRF going to or coming from the WAN
Non-SDWAN (with crypto enabled)
• Choose the BW tier based on the IPsec traffic
• Non-crypto traffic unthrottled based on physical device capabilities. Note that Catalyst 8000v throughput will be
throttled according to license limits.
Non-SDWAN (without crypto enabled)
• Choose the lowest BW tier applicable for the platform to unlock the full physical device throughput (based on CEF).
Note that Catalyst 8000v throughput (and all IPsec traffic) will be throttled according to license limits.

Q. What throughput tier do I buy if I do not need IPsec in autonomous mode?

A. With the notable exception of Catalyst 8000v, if IPsec is not needed in Autonomous mode, then the customer can purchase
the lowest applicable bandwidth level/tier.

Q. Are bandwidth or throughput tiers enforced?

A. In the Catalyst 8000 family , there is no hard enforcement of throughput tiers/levels (with the exceptions of HSEC and
Catalyst 8000v). In all other cases, if the customer chooses to configure a throughput tier/level for which they do not own a
valid license, they will get out of compliance messages and they will not be entitled to TAC support for related issues.

Q. What is HSEC?
A. The US Department of Commerce1 mandates that the aggregate encrypted throughput of all incoming and outgoing
interfaces not exceed 250Mbps (in each direction). Cisco uses the HSEC license to enforce said regulation. The HSEC license
is automatically included with all throughput purchases greater than 250Mbps on the Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms.
A Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platform will not operate at an encrypted throughput that is greater than 250Mbps unless it is
associated with a HSEC license.

Every purchase of throughput greater than 250Mbps of encryption is vetted to ensure compliance with all associated
export regulations of the US Department of Commerce. To accomplish this objective Cisco does not provide for any
temporary HSEC license on the Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms.

1
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/15/740.17

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Q. How do I order HSEC?

A. HSEC can be configured on the hardware SKU. On C8300, it is a $1 SKU; on C8500, HSEC is always included. HSEC will show
up in the customer’s Smart Account.

Q. Why is HSEC an option on C8300 but is always included in C8500?

A. All C8500 are sold with >250Mbps throughput and are export-controlled. In the case of C8300, bandwidth tiers include
options for <250Mbps throughput, so HSEC is needed based on chosen bandwidth tier.

Q. Why is there HSEC on C8500 and not ASR1000?

A. All ASR1000 support >250Mbps throughput and are export-controlled (with implicit HSEC). C8500 continues to support
>250Mbps throughput and export controlled, but now have an explicit HSEC license for consistency with the Catalyst 8000
Family.

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Feature/License Mapping & Parity

Q. How do I enable CUBE or SRST for C8300?
A. Cisco DNA licenses do not include CUBE and SRST licenses. An additional L-CUBE (minimum package is Cisco DNA Essentials)
and/or L-SRST (minimum package is Cisco DNA Advantage) is to be purchased over and above the Cisco DNA licenses for
CUBE and SRST feature entitlements.

Q. How do I enable CUBE or SRST for C8500?

A. C8500 does not support CUBE or SRST.
Q. Is there feature parity between C8300 and ISR4400 in autonomous mode?
A. C8300 has feature parity with ISR4400 with the exception of Cisco Manager Express (CME). Support for WAAS will be
enabled on UCS-E as a container.

Q. Is there feature parity between C8500 and ASR1001-HX / ASR1002-HX?

A. C8500 has feature parity with ASR1001-HX / ASR1002-HX with the exception of Broadband BNG features (SP) in
autonomous mode and AppNav in controller mode (IOS XE SD-WAN).

Q. Why is Cisco DNA Essentials not offered with C8500?

A. C8500 is positioned as an aggregation platform, which typically requires the higher feature set that is part of Cisco DNA
Advantage (advanced routing, multicast, multi-domain, etc.). This is similar to the Cisco DNA options offered with ASR1K
platforms.

Q. How do Cisco DNA Essentials and Advantage packaging for SD-WAN differ between C8k and ASR1k/ISR4k?
A. There is no difference. Cisco DNA Essentials and Advantage SD-WAN packaging remains the same between C8k and
ASR1k/ISR4k.

Q. How do licenses on the ISR4k and ASR1k map to the those on C8k?
A. Please see below:
Catalyst
IS AS
(Cisco DNA ssen als
( ul ple icenses) ( ul ple icenses)
Advantage)

Below Bundle
Cisco DNA Advantage W ( ort based) icenses
aria ons S C
Advanced Security Segmenta on Cisco DNA So ware
Advanced Networ ing Subscrip on Stac NT S icenses
Networ Advantage
oice erpetual Stac AIS A S

Basic Security S C Cisco DNA ssen als

Cisco DNA So ware
Basic Security Subscrip on Stac

Networ ssen als

erpetual Stac
I Base

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Cisco DNA License Portability/Migration

Q. Can I port my classic perpetual licenses on ASR1k/ISR4k (IPBase, APP, SEC, etc.) to Catalyst 8000?
A. No. Classic perpetual licenses on ASR1k/ISR4k are not applicable for Catalyst 8000.
Q. Can I port my Cisco DNA subscription from C8300 to C8500 or C8500 to C8300?
A. Yes. Please refer to the license portability table below for applicability.
Q. Can I port my existing Cisco DNA subscription from ASR1k/ISR4k to C8k?
A. Yes. Please refer to the license portability table below for applicability.

Q. What are the platforms available for Cisco DNA subscription portability/migration?
A. Please refer to the table below.
Cisco DNA Migration To
Migration C8500 C8300 ASR1k ISR4k ISR1k vEdge
from
C8500 Yes Yes No No No No
C8300 Yes Yes No No No No
ASR1k Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ISR4k Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
ISR1k Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
vEdge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

* Depends on Cisco DNA bandwidth applicability for the device

Q. What is the process for Cisco DNA subscription portability/migration within Catalyst 8000 Family (C8k to C8k)?
A. All network stack and Cisco DNA software stack licenses are Smart enabled. Simply dissociate a network stack and Cisco
DNA software stack on one device and associate the network stack and Cisco DNA software stack on a new device.

Note: Associating a network stack and a Cisco DNA software stack to a device is subject to applicable throughput tiers (e.g.,
C8500 only supports Tier 3, so bandwidths 1G or below cannot be applied). See software configuration guide for more
details.

Q. What are the conditions/eligibility criteria for Cisco DNA subscription portability/migration from ASR1k/ISR/vEdge to
C8k?
A. These are the conditions/eligibility criteria for Cisco DNA subscription portability/migration:

• Must have applicable platforms (see above table)

• Must have active Cisco DNA subscription to migrate
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be same throughput tier or higher (e.g., cannot migrate 1G on ISR4k to T1 on
C8300)
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be same feature tier or higher (e.g., Advantage to Essentials not allowed)
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be 3-, 5-, or 7-year

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Q. What is the process for Cisco DNA subscription migration (ASR1k/ISR4k to C8k?)
A. See the process outlined below:

Credit for Cisco DNA Mid Term Upgrade: Routing

(Non Std Deal)
1 2
Account Team

Case Elements

1. Go to Customer Service Hub

Partner creates a quote Partner raises a case to 2. Search for “Subscription Changes”
for the upgrade and terminate the original 3. Select equest Type “Cancellation”
requests to terminate subscription for credit
4. Add the Subscription ID of the subscription to be
the original subscription
canceled
5. Add the PIDs and quantity to be canceled
6. Add the deal, quote or order for the upgrade

3 Client Experience Services (CES) gets approval from the

CES

Routing BU, then terminates the original subscription and the

system automatically sends a credit memo for the remaining
value on the original subscription

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Q. What is the credit amount available for Cisco DNA subscription migration/portability?
A. Credits from migrating to higher throughput tier:

Use case Migration credit(s)

Upgrade from one bandwidth to Bandwidth upgrade within the same tier Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
higher bandwidth on the same value of current subscription
device
Bandwidth upgrade combined with tier Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
upgrade value of current subscription

Credits from migrating to a higher feature package:

Use case Migration credit(s)

Upgrade Cisco DNA tier Upgrade from Cisco DNA Essentials to Cisco Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
DNA Advantage or Cisco DNA Premier value of current subscription

Upgrade from Cisco DNA Advantage to Cisco Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
DNA Premier value of current subscription

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Q. What licenses will be deposited in customer’s Smart Account from Cisco DNA subscription migration?
A. With the new Cisco DNA subscription on Catalyst 8000, customer will receive a new network stack (NWSTACK-XX-Y) and
new Cisco DNA software stack (DSTACK-XX-Y). The networ stac tags from customer’s old Cisco DNA subscription will
remain in their smart account.

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Cisco DNA License upgrade (Throughput/Package/Term Upgrades)

Q. How do I upgrade my Cisco DNA subscription (e.g., Essentials to Advantage), BW tier, or my term?
A. Cisco DNA subscription upgrades follow the same process as license portability to C8k:
Eligibility criteria:
• Must have applicable platforms (see above table)
• Must have active Cisco DNA subscription to migrate
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be same throughput tier or higher (e.g., 1G to Tier 1 is not allowed)
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be same feature tier or higher (e.g., Advantage to Essentials not allowed)
• New subscription on Catalyst 8000 must be 3-, 5-, or 7-year

Q. What is the process for Cisco DNA subscription upgrades?

A. See the process outlined below:

Credit for Cisco DNA Mid Term Upgrade: Routing

(Non Std Deal)
1 2
Account Team

Case Elements

1. Go to Customer Service Hub

Partner creates a quote Partner raises a case to 2. Search for “Subscription Changes”
for the upgrade and terminate the original 3. Select equest Type “Cancellation”
requests to terminate subscription for credit
4. Add the Subscription ID of the subscription to be
the original subscription
canceled
5. Add the PIDs and quantity to be canceled
6. Add the deal, quote or order for the upgrade

3 Client Experience Services (CES) gets approval from the

CES

Routing BU, then terminates the original subscription and the

system automatically sends a credit memo for the remaining
value on the original subscription

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Q. What is the credit amount available for Cisco DNA subscription migration/portability?
A. Credits from migrating to higher throughput tier:

Use case Migration credit(s)

Upgrade from one bandwidth to Bandwidth upgrade within the same tier Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
higher bandwidth on the same value of current subscription
device
Bandwidth upgrade combined with tier Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
upgrade value of current subscription

Credits from migrating to higher feature package:

Use case Migration credit(s)

Upgrade Cisco DNA tier Upgrade from Cisco DNA Essentials to Cisco Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
DNA Advantage or Cisco DNA Premier value of current subscription

Upgrade from Cisco DNA Advantage to Cisco Customers get 100% credit on the remaining
DNA Premier value of current subscription

Q. Is the process for bandwidth upgrades new?

A. No, this is the same process as upgrading bandwidth for existing ASR1k/ISR4k today. In Catalyst 8000, there will be new
network stack and Cisco DNA software stack tags deposited as part of the process. To get entitlement for higher bandwidth,
the corresponding network stack will have to be upgraded.

Q. How do I upgrade my current bandwidth tier after my subscription expires?

A. Customer shall purchase a new, higher throughput Cisco DNA subscription to get the new network and Cisco DNA software
stacks.

Q. What are the applicable Cisco DNA subscription tiers for Catalyst 8000?
A. The subscription tiers for Catalyst 8000 appear in the chart below. Note that Tier 3 aggregate limits only apply in Controller
mode. In Autonomous mode, Tier 3 bandwidth is limited only by the capabilities of the device. Note that Catalyst 8000v
throughput will be throttled according to license limits.

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✓= Essentials ✓= Advantage ✓= Premier

C8200-1N-4T C8300-1N1S-6T C8300-2N2S-6T C8300-1N1S-4T2X C8300-2N2S-4T2X C8500-12X C8500-12X4QC

Tier 0 (Up to 50 Mbps agg.)

✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓
Tier 1 (Up to 400 Mbps agg.)
✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓
Tier 2 (Up to 2 Gbps agg.)
✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓ ✓✓✓
Tier 3 (Up to 10 Gbps agg.)
✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓

Q. What are the applicable terms for Cisco DNA subscriptions?

A. 3- and 5-year are the primary term offerings. For Cisco DNA Advantage, a 7-year term is also available.

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Smart Licensing and License Consumption

Q. How do I manage my network stack and Cisco DNA software stack entitlements?
A. The Cisco 8000 Series Edge Platforms use the Smart License Enhanced (SLE) (a.k.a. Smart License version 2.0) for license
management. When you purchase a Cisco DNA license, Cisco will deposit a Network Stack entitlement (perpetual) and a
Cisco DNA Software Stack entitlement (subscription) into the Smart Account (SA) and Virtual Account (VA) specified. Once
deposited, you may use the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) to manage these licenses. License moves, adds and/or
changes may be performed on the CSSM portal. Platforms require subscription-based licensing by default. The customer is
guided towards compliance as they reach the subscription start or term-end, any early term and count reminders, flagging a
shortage of licenses, etc.

A customer can ensure license compliance in real-time or in an offline manner. Smart License Enhanced provides for both
connected mode and offline mode of license reporting. Smart License Enhanced (SLE) stores all license changes (enable,
disable, modification) in a tamper proof internal memory. Cisco provides a reporting utility (RU) to the customer allowing
the customer to collate the licensing information from the SLE database on each router deployed in the network. The RU
may connect live to report the licensing information to the CSSM portal or the customer may provide the report in an
offline manner.

Such a report must be provided, at minimum, once every 6 months to Cisco. Cisco will reconcile such information and the
customer may true-up for all licenses enabled and or used beyond the subscription term.

Q. What is Smart License Enhanced (SLE)? Where can I find more info?
A. Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to
purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what
users can access. With Smart Licensing you get:

• Easy Activation: Smart Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire
organization—no more PAKs (Product Activation Keys).
• Unified Management: My Cisco Entitlements (MCE) provides a complete view into all of your Cisco products and
services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using.
• License Flexibility: Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses
as needed.

To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (software.cisco.com).

For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide

Q. What is the minimum software (SW) release of C8300 and C8500?

A. The minimum software release for the Catalyst 8000 Series routers is the IOS-XE 17.3.2. This version provides the unified
image which allows the customer to switch (using CLI) between the Autonomous mode and the Controller mode without
changing the binary image on the router.

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Q. Do both Autonomous and Controller modes support SLE based licensing?

A. With initial release of Catalyst 8500/C8300 platforms, i.e., IOS-XE 17.3.2, Smart Licensing is supported only in the
Autonomous mode. Controller mode does not support SLE. SLE in controller mode is expected to be supported in later
releases. In Controller mode, vManage will support the Reporting Utility (RU) and will permit interface with the CSSM portal
or provide for offline reporting capability.

Q. Do Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms support both Specific License Reservation (SLR) and Permanent License
Reservation (PLR)?
A. The Catalyst 8000 Series Edge Platforms supports only PLR and does not support SLR.

• The SLE allows customers to use the Reporting Utility to provide offline reporting of license consumption and
usage to Cisco thus eliminating the need for SLR.

• The PLR mode is supported for only Smart Accounts and Virtual Accounts uniquely identified as those belonging to
Military and Defense or needs identified with National Security.

• For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide

Q. Do I need both the Cisco DNA software stack and Network stack in Autonomous or in Controller mode?
A. In the Controller mode, the router is configured by the user interface on vManage. In the Autonomous mode, the router is
configured through either Cisco DNA Center or using the router CLI. The Network Stack is applicable only in the
Autonomous mode whereas the Cisco DNA Software Stack is applicable in both the Autonomous and the Controller mode.

The configuration for throughput of the device is applicable when operating in either the Autonomous or the Controller
mode.

Q. How do I configure autonomous mode for network stack and Cisco DNA software stack?
A. Licenses on the Catalyst 8000 Series may be configured (in Autonomous mode) using the CLI described below. You must
save the configuration and then reboot the router for the configuration to take effect. If the router is not re-booted then
the new configuration will not take effect.

Device (config)# license boot level <network-stack> addon <dna-stack>

Device (config)# platform hardware throughput crypto <throughput>

These two lines of configuration maybe configured one after the other to make the throughput and package (network-stack
and dna-stack) changes or they may be configured independently to make a change to either the package or the
throughput.

The vManage User Interface (UI) configures the router when operating in Controller mode. The UI configures only the Cisco
DNA Software Stack and the selected throughput when the configuration is pushed down from the vManage.

Configuration will be reset when switching between autonomous mode and controller mode and vice versa.

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Q. What happens to my licenses in the CSSM portal after the expiry of the Cisco DNA Subscription?
A. Autonomous mode: Upon the expiry of the Cisco DNA Subscription, the CSSM portal will flag a warning related to
insufficient license. As the network-stack is perpetual and the dna-stack is a term-based subscription, only the dna-stack
expires on the CSSM portal. The customer then logs into the router and configures the following and restarts the router

Device (config)# license boot level <network-stack>

Controller mode: vManage will be integrated with Smart Licensing in upcoming releases (post IOS-XE 17.3.2). Upon the
expiry of the Cisco DNA Subscription, the vManage portal will sync with the CSSM portal to flag a warning of insufficient
license for the Cisco DNA Software Stack when the subscription term expires. In the Controller mode, vManage only
configures the Cisco DNA Software Stack. The Network Stack is not configured. The customer is expected to manually
remove the associated router (from the SD-WAN fabric) for which the license has expired.

Q. Are Cisco DNA licenses tied to the Serial Number or the Unique Identifier of the Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms?
A. The Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms uses Smart License to manage the Cisco DNA Licenses. The SLE follows the same
approach as the Smart Licensing version 1.0 to pool all licenses. As each router is configured for a defined package and
throughput, it seeks a license from CSSM if directly connected. Once assigned a license from the pool, the UDI of the router
is associated with the router. When the package and throughput are unconfigured on the router, the license (after a hold-
time) is released back into the Smart Licensing pool.

Alternatively, if the Reporting Utility (RU) is used to provide offline reports, the reconciliation with the procured licenses
happens offline.

Q. How do I associate a Cisco DNA software stack to my device in the Controller mode?
A. A Cisco DNA License in the controller mode is provisioned through the vManage GUI. The GUI, when it pushes the
configuration only configures the Cisco DNA Software Stack. The Network stack, being perpetual is not applicable to the
Controller mode. The vManage enables (in the background) a configuration command that is similar to for package and
throughput:

Device (config)# license boot level < > addon <dna-stack>

Device (config)# platform hardware throughput crypto <throughput>

Q. When I upgrade a license from an encrypted throughput that’s less than 250Mbps to one that is greater than
250Mbps, how do I enable the HSEC license?
A. A customer may upgrade the throughput to any bandwidth equal to or greater than 250Mbps. In each case, a HSEC license
should be enabled before the customer can configure the higher-level throughput. When customer upgrades a Cisco DNA
Subscription (by purchasing a new Cisco DNA subscription of higher throughput), they also purchase the required HSEC
license (C8000-HSEC=). Upon purchase, both the new Cisco DNA / Network license and the HSEC are deposited into the
Smart Account of the customer.

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The customer then uses the Smart Account/Virtual Account combination (SA/VA) to generate a SLAAC Code. The SLAAC
code is now installed on the router. The customer then configures the CLI for the new throughput and restarts the box for
the new throughput to take effect. Any attempt to configure the higher throughput before configuring the SLAC code will
not be successful.

Q. How do I migrate a license with encrypted throughput greater than 250Mbps from one router to another?
A. All Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms are provided with capability to enable HSEC license when encrypted throughputs greater
than 250Mbps are enabled. The customer generates a SLAC code (Smart License Authorization Code) on the Smart
Licensing portal and installs it on the router when enabling an encrypted throughput >250Mbps.

When transferring it to another router, the customer returns the SLAC code from the origin router back to the Smart
Licensing portal. The customer then seeks a new SLAC code for the destination router and installs it, before turning on the
throughput CLI.

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Stocking
Q. What is the maximum Cisco DNA subscription term offset?
A. Subscription start date can be set at a maximum of 90 calendar days from the time the order leaves the demand fulfilment
center.

Q. What do I order for hardware stocking?

A. Please order the hardware only SKUs.

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