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Installation Guide for CiscoNetwork Planning Solution
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Chapter1 Planning Your Installation Determining Installation Options
Determining Installation Options
Cisco NPS has two component programs:
•Design and Analysis
•Virtual Network Data Server
Before installing the component programs, select the computers where you want to install these
programs. Each computer must meet the system requirements for the program of interest, as described
in the System Requirements for Cisco Network Planning Solution chapter.
Note Although you can install Virtual Network Data Server and Design and Analysis on the same computer,
Cisco strongly recommends that you install these components on separate computers. Doing so will
achieve the best performance from each component. (Design and Analysis is usually installed on a user
desktop or laptop, while Virtual Network Data Server is usually installed on a server in the Network
Operations Center.)
After you complete this step, return to the “Installation Workflow” section on page 1-1.
Product Licensing
Each component program in Cisco NPS—Design and Analysis and Virtual Network Data
Server—requires a corresponding license to be installed and available to that program. On startup, the
program contacts a License Server and requests a license; if it does not obtain a license, the program
does not start. The License Server is a daemon/process that runs on the host where a license is installed;
it handles license requests from component programs.
After you determine the licensing configuration you want, return to the “Installation Workflow” section
on page 1-1.

Restricted and Unrestricted Licenses

You can buy either Restricted or Unrestricted versions of the Cisco NPS program licenses. This
distinction determines the scope of authorized users:
•A Restricted license confines the user of a program to one IP network by default subnet class. This
means that the licensed program can be used only if the License Server is in the same classful IP
network. IP network connectivity between the program and server is required.
•An Unrestricted license offers the most flexibility for organizations that operate multiple IP
networks (as defined by default subnet class). Users can access licenses from within the same
classful IP network as the License Server as well as from up to 100 additional IP networks. These
networks must be defined in advance.