4/3/2017 UnderstatingCiscoIOSv15Licenses20321TheCiscoLearningNetwork

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Understating Cisco IOS v15 Licenses

CreatedbyYasserRamzyAudaCCIER&S#45694,CCSI#34215,CCNPSecurityonMar21,20138:34AM.Lastmodifiedby
JoydeepDebonNov7,20134:41AM.

UnderstatingCiscoIOSv15Licenses

PriortoIOS15,weusedtohave8IOSimagesTypes(Featureset),bythewayitwas12beforeitcomes8.

anyrouterwascomingwithIBBasefeaturesetandaccordingtoyourcompanyneedsyoucangoforadvancefeatureset
andreplacetheIOS,checkthebelowpic:

ThefollowingPictureexplaineachoneandwhatfeaturesyouwillgainonceyourunthatfeatureset:

NowwithIOS15itbecome4insteadof8Featuresetsandthese4FeaturessetcomesinonesingleIOSimage,now
daysweusetheterm(technologypackage)whenreferringtofeatureset.


WhataretheISOv15Featuresets(technologypackage)typeswehavenowdayswithISRG2:

1.IPBase(ipbaseK9)comeandrunningwithanynewISRG2routers(1900,2900,3900Series),itsentrylevelforCiscoIOS
functionality
2.DATA(dataK9)supportMPLS.ATM.Multiprotocolsupport
3.UnifiedCommuincations(ucK9)supportVOIP&IPTelephony

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4.Security(securityK9)supportCiscoIOSFirewall,IPS,IPsec,3DES,VPN

ThefollowingpicturesummarizetheseFeaturesets(technologypackage):

ISRIntegratedServiceRouterG2comewithIPbaseandtoruntheotherthreetechnologypackageweneedtounderstand
theconceptoflicenseswhichsimilartoASAfirewallslicensesbytheway.

Licenseshastwotypes:

Evaluation(Temporary)License
whichmeanwillbeavailablewithallfunctionalityfortrialperiodwouldbe60days

PermanentLicense
whichmeanyoumustgetnewlicensefromciscotorunitforever

AnyLicensehasStatus:

anytypecouldhadoneoftwostatus

Active,InUse
Inactive


NormallyyourUniversalimagecomewithipbasek9builtinwiththefollowingtypeandstatus

LicenseType:Permanent

LicenseState:Active,InUse


Soifwewanttorunoneoftheremainingthreefeaturesets,Licensesneedtobeactivateitsoyoucanuseitwhateveryou
willuseitasPermanentorEvaluation.

CiscogiveyoutheabilitytoactivatetheremainingthreefeaturesetsforEvaluationbutifyouliketouseanyofthem
Permanentlyyouwillneedtogetlicensefromcisco.

Note1:TheIPBaselicenseisaprerequisiteforinstallingtheData,Security,andUnifiedCommunicationslicense.

Note2:ifyouwanttorunallfeaturesetyouwillneedlicenseforeachasthepicbelow:

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HowtogetLicensefromCiscoandhowtoinstallitinmyRouter?
Completethefollowingstepstopermanentlyactivateasoftwarepackageorfeatureontherouter:

1Purchasethesoftwarepackageorfeaturethatyouwanttoinstall.YoureceiveaPAKwithyourpurchase.

WhatisProductauthorizationkey(PAK):

ThePAKisprovidedtoyouwhenyouorderorpurchasetherighttouseafeaturesetforaparticularplatform.
ThePAKservesasareceiptandisusedaspartoftheprocesstoobtainalicense


2Getthelicensefileusingoneoftheseoptions:

Option1CiscoLicenseManager,whichisafreesoftwareapplicationavailableathttp://www.cisco.com/go/clm.

Option2ciscolicenseregistrationportalwww.cisco.com/go/license

onanyoftheseoptionswhatyouwilldoisConvertthePAKtoalicensebyenteringthePAKandtheuniquedeviceidentifier
(UDI)intotheCLMorCiscoProductLicenseRegistrationportal

Note:UDIhastwomaincomponents:thePIDandtheserial

Whatistheuniquedeviceidentifier(UDI)?

A.TheUDIisacombinationoftheproductid(PID),theserialnumber,andthehardwareversion.TheUDIisprintedona
labelthatislocatedonthebackofeveryswitchandalsoviewablefromthecommandlineinterface(CLI)(showlicenseUDI)
andmanagementtools(usingSimpleNetworkManagementProtocol[SNMP]).OnlythePIDandserialnumberareusedfor
licensecreation


ToknowwhatisyourUDI,typeshowlicenseudiasthefollowingpicshowingyou:

AlsoshowversioncommandwilldisplaytheUDI

Thisinformationisalsopresentonapulloutlabeltrayfoundonthedevice.Seethefollowingtwopictures:

Afterenteringtheappropriateinformation,youwillreceiveanemailcontainingthelicenseinformationthatyoucanuseto
installthelicense

CopythelicensefilereceivedfromtheCiscoProductLicenseRegistrationportaltotheappropriatefilesystemonthe
device.
or
ClicktheInstallbuttononthewebpage.

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WhatistheLicenseFormat?

Thelicenseisintheformofafilewitha.licextension

ASoftwareActivationLicenseisanXMLtextfilewitha.licextensionandevencanbeopenedbynotepadoranytexteditor:

3usetheciscoclitoinstallandmanagelicenses


LicensesCommandsOverview:


DisplayingLicensestypesandstatus

Router#showlicenseall

R1#shlicensedetailwillgiveyousimilarinformationlikeaboveonetoo



Displayingbriefsummaryabouteachfeatureandinstallationstatus

R1#showlicensefeature

InstallingEvaluationLicenseforfeatureset(technologypackage)

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Letssaywewanttotakethebenefitofusingsecurityk9FeaturesetinEvaluationperiodtosetourrouterasIOSfirewall,
wewilltypethefollowingcommand

Router(config)#licensebootmodulec2900technologypackagesecurityk9

ThenwewillaskedtotypeYesToaccepttheEvaluationLicenseagreement



InstallingPermanentLicenseforfeatureset(technologypackage):

Afterdoingthestepswetalkaboutearliertogetthelicensefile,wewillcopyittoourrouterflashthentypethefollowing
command:

R1#licenseinstallflash0:uck92900SPE150_K9FHH12250057.xml

R1#reload



BackinguptheLicensecommand:

R1#licensesaveflash:all_licenses.lic



UninstallingtheLicensecommand(twostepsrequiredforuninstallinglicenses):

1Firstwedisableit

Router(config)#licensebootmodulec3900technologypackageuck9disable

Router(config)#exit

Router#reload

2Thenweclearit

Router#licenseclearuck9

Router#configt

Router(config)#nolicensebootmodulec3900technologyuck9disable

Router(config)#exit

Router#reload



Note:somelicensessuchasbuiltinlicensescannotbecleared.Onlylicensesthathavebeenaddedby

usingthelicenseinstallcommandareremoved.Evaluationlicensesarenotremoved.



FinallyIrecommendyoutounderstandthenamingformatforIOS15itself,example:

c2900universalk9mz.SPA.1514.M4.bin

ThemainpointheretoundersatndhereiswhatisM&T?

inbrief,Mreleasestayfor16monthandduringthisperiodwecouldseemanyreleaseofTincludingenhancementand
advancefunctionalityadded.

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Moreinfo:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/iosswrel/ps8802/ps10587/ps10591/ps10621/qa_c67_561940.html


MoreresourcesaboutIOSv15&Licenses:

CiscosIntegratedServicesRoutersGenerationTwoLicensingandPackaging

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/routers/ps10616/white_paper_c11_556985_ps10536_Products_White_Paper.html

ConfiguringtheCiscoIOSSoftwareActivationFeature

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/csa/configuration/guide/csa_commands.html

TutorialforIOSV15

http://www.cisco.com/assets/prod/iosnxos/ios_sw_releases_15/index.html

CLMeTutorial:

http://www.cisco.com/assets/prod/netmgtsw/Lic_mgr/index.html

AnintroductiontoCiscoIOSversion15

http://www.ciscozine.com/2010/10/12/anintroductiontociscoiosversion15/

YasserAuda
CertifiedCiscoSystemsInstructorCCSI#34215

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11Comments

GusDec6,20133:16PM

Greatpost,informationandpicturesrelatedtoCiscoIOSv15.Thanksforsharing!!

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FabiolaMay4,20149:58AM

Veryinteresting!

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GowthamrajFMay7,20148:18PM

thanksforsharing....

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KumaranMay7,201411:14PM

https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC20321 6/8
4/3/2017 UnderstatingCiscoIOSv15Licenses20321TheCiscoLearningNetwork
Thanks

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SergeyMar12,201512:30PM

Thankyoufortheexplanation,butididn'tgetsomething.
whythereisalotofimageswithIOS15whichnameslookslikeimagesofIOS12(withfeaturesetinthename).
forexamplec7200adventerprisek9mz.1524.M2.bin
it'sanimageofIOS15,sowhyit'snot"universal"?insteaditcontainsfeaturesetadventerprise.
andwhyinthisimageyoucan'truncommand"showlicense"?

Actions

EdwardMar12,20152:08PM(inresponsetoSergey)

CansomeoneanswerSergey'squestion,that'saquestionthatIwouldlovetoknow.Greatdocumentitjustmade
meunderstandeverythingabouthowtheIOSarenamedandwhy15.4+onlyhasonewithlicenses.

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TimAug30,20153:26PM(inresponsetoSergey)

Ihavethissamequestion.Ihaveaccesstodevicesthatrangefrom1841's,2821's,2911's,4311'sforroutersand
anythingfroma2960S,3560,3560G,3560X,3750(multipleflavers),and3850's.

I'veseensomedevicesthathavesimilarimagesthatmatchthe12featuresetsandinthecaseofmy3560XIfind
thatithasasingleuniversalimagewhichthenfollowsthistrain.Isthisversionsystemonlyaccuratefordevicesthat
werebuiltaftertheinitialreleaseofIOS15andonlywhenyoucouldn'tbuythedevicewithIOS12andsomeset
featureset?

Tim

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DarbyWeaverCCDP/CCNPx6Mar12,201512:51PM

Thanks

DarbyWeaver

http://www.darbyslogs.blogspot.com

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EdwardMar12,20155:05PM

GreatandimportantinformationthathelpunderstandtheabundanceofIOSimagesoutthere.Thishelpedmedecidewhat
IOStogowithaswellashowtohandleIOSinthelatestciscodevices.

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VirtelaCommunicationsJul21,20166:28AM

Hi,

Asperbelowlink,"StartingwithCiscoIOSReleases15.0(1)M6,15.1(1)T4,15.1(2)T4,15.1(3)T2,and15.1(4)M,Evaluation
licensesarereplacedwithEvaluationRightToUselicenses.EvaluationRighttoUselicensesautomaticallybecomeRight
toUselicensesaftertheinitialevaluationperiod"

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/sw_activation/SA_on_ISR.html#pgfId1155619

Dowestillneedtoinstalllicensefiletohavepermanentlicenseafterevaluationperiod?

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YasserRamzyAudaCCIER&S#45694,CCSI#34215,CCNPSecurityJul22,20168:07AM(inresponsetoVirtelaCommunications)

Righttouse(RTU)licensingallowsyoutoorderandactivateaspecificlicensetypeandlevel,andthentomanage
licenseusageonyourdevice.Thetypesoflicensesavailabletoorderare:
PermanentlicensesPurchasedwithaspecificfeaturesetwithnoexpirationdate.
EvaluationlicensesPreinstalledontheswitchandisvalidforonlya90dayinuseperiod.

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Toactivateapermanentorevaluationlicense,youarerequiredtoaccepttheEndUserLicenseAgreement
(EULA).Fortheevaluationlicense,youarenotifiedtopurchaseapermanentlicenseordeactivatethelicense
beforethe90dayperiodexpires.
Apermanentlicensecanbemovedfromonedevicetoanother.Toactivatealicense,youmustrebootyourswitch.
Anevaluationlicenseisamanufacturingimageonyourswitchandisnottransferabletoanotherswitch.Thistype
oflicensecannotbereactivatedafterreboot.

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