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9-2
Cisco MDS 9000 Family Fabric Manager Configuration Guide
OL-6965-03, Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 2.x
Chapter 9 Obtaining and Installing Licenses
Licensing Model
•Node-locked license—A license that can only be used on a particular switch using the switch’s
unique host ID.
•Host IDs—A unique chassis serial number that is specific to each Cisco MDS switch.
•Proof of purchase—A document entitling it’s rightful owner to use licensed feature(s) on one Cisco
MDS switch as described in that document. Also known as the claim certificate.
•Product Authorization Key (PAK)—The PAK allows you to obtain a license key from one of the sites
listed in the proof of purchase document. After registering at the specified website, you will receive
your license key file and installation instructions through e-mail.
•License key file—A switch-specific unique file that specifies the licensed features. Each file
contains digital signatures to prevent tampering and modification. License keys are required to use
a licensed feature. License keys are enforced within a specified time span.
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License keys are required if your switch is running Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 1.3 or later.
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License keys are not enforced for features in Cisco MDS SAN-OS Release 1.2 or earlier.
•Counted license—The number of licenses issued for a single feature (for example, FCIP). You can
increase counted licenses (incremental licenses) should a need arise in the future.
•Incremental license—An additional licensed feature that was not in the initial license file. License
keys are incremental—if you purchase some features now and others later, the license file and the
software detect the sum of all features for the specified switch.
•Evaluation license—A temporary license. Evaluation licenses are time bound (valid for a specified
number of days) and are not tied to a host ID (switch serial number).
•Permanent license—A license that is not time bound (does not have an expiry date) is called a
permanent license.
•Grace period—The amount of time the features in a license package can continue functioning
without a license. The grace period is set to 120 days, and the countdown starts when either of the
following two situations occur:
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You are evaluating a feature for which you have not purchased a license.
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You purchased a license that has reached its expiry date.
License packages can contain several features. If you disable a feature during the grace period, the
clock does not stop for that feature, or for the other features in that license package. To suspend the
grace period countdown for a licensed feature, you must disable every feature in that licence
package.
•Support—If you purchased Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If
you purchased support directly from Cisco Systems, contact Cisco Technical Support at this URL:
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml
Licensing Model
The licensing model defined for the Cisco MDS product line has two options:
•Feature-based licensing: features that are applicable to the entire switch. The cost varies based on a
per-switch usage. Table 9-1 lists the feature-based license packages.
•Module-based licensing: features that require additional hardware modules. An example is the IPS-8
or IPS-4 module using the FCIP feature.