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This chapter contains the following sections:
The Cisco Nexus 1000V uses a multi-hypervisor licensing approach, which allows you to migrate a license from one Cisco Nexus 1000V switch platform type to another. For example, you can migrate the license from a Cisco Nexus 1000V for VMware switch to a Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V switch. Likewise, you can migrate the license from a Cisco Nexus 1000V for KVM to a Cisco Nexus 1000V for VMware.
You can swap editions at any time as long as you have the appropriate licenses available for the Advanced edition. All modules must use either the Essential edition or the Advanced edition. You cannot mix the two and have some modules use the Essential edition while others use the Advanced edition.
You can use the show switch edition command to display the current switch edition and other licensing information.
The Cisco Nexus 1000V supports Essential and Advanced license editions. Beginning with Cisco Nexus NX-OS 5.2(1)SV3(1.1), Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 5.2(1)SK3(1.1), and Cisco Nexus NX-OS Release 5.2(1)SM3(1.1), the Advanced license supports license versioning.
Essentials is the default license edition that comes with the Cisco Nexus 1000V software. All basic features are available and all Virtual Ethernet Modules (VEMs) are automatically licensed to use these basic features. No additional license is required to use these basic features.
The Essentials Edition comes with a 60-day trial for the Advanced Edition.
Essentials Edition supports the following number of resources:
Switch |
Software Release |
Number of Hosts |
Number of Virtual Ports |
---|---|---|---|
Cisco Nexus 1000V for VMware |
4.2(1)SV2(2.2) and lower |
128 |
4096 |
Cisco Nexus 1000V for KVM |
5.2(1)SK3(1.1) |
20 |
4096 |
Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft |
5.2(1)SM3(1.1) |
64 |
4096 |
The Advanced Edition license package name is NEXUS_1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG. An Advanced Edition license is required for each CPU socket on each VEM in order to use the advanced features. To license VEM hosts, you must purchase a license package and then install the package on your Virtual Supervisor Module (VSM).
The Advanced Edition license supports the following versions:
Advanced Edition 1.0 (Nexus1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG 1.0)—Any license file that was generated for Release 4.2(1)SV2(2.2) software or earlier has the Advanced 1.0 version.
Advanced 3.0 (Nexus1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG 3.0)— If you purchased Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SK3(2.2) software or Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 5.2(1)SM3(1.1) software, you must install the Advanced 3.0 license. If you have Cisco Nexus 1000V Release 4.2(1)SV2(2.2) software or earlier and have the Advanced 1.0 license installed, you must upgrade to the Advanced 3.0 license either by installing it directly or by upgrading to it using an Advanced 3.0 upgrade license. If you have the Advanced 3.0 license already installed, using the switch edition advanced command configures the switch with the Advanced 3.0 Edition license. When the Advanced license is installed, the switch immediately acquires the appropriate licenses from the license pool.
Note | Cisco Nexus 1000V Multi-Hypervisor License, version 1.0 can not co-exist with version 3.0 license. Make sure that you have enough license count to cover all the physical CPU sockets of all the Cisco Nexus 1000V VEM modules before replacing version 1.0 license with version 3.0 license. |
License Version |
Minimum Software Release |
Features |
Maximum Resources |
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Advanced 1.0 1 |
4.2(1)SV2(1.1) |
|
Advanced 1.0 supports the following number of resources: |
||||
Advanced 3.0 2 |
5.2(1)SV3(1.1) |
|
Advanced 3.0 supports the following number of resources: |
License Version |
Minimum Software Release |
Features |
Maximum Resources |
---|---|---|---|
Advanced 3.0 3 |
5.2(1)SK3(2.2) |
|
Advanced 3.0 supports the following number of resources: |
License Version |
Minimum Software Release |
Features |
Maximum Resources |
---|---|---|---|
Advanced 3.0 4 |
5.2(1)SM3(1.1) |
Advanced 3.0 supports the following number of resources: |
This example shows how to display the output for the Advanced 1.0 license:
switch# show license n1kv_license_1_0.lic: SERVER this_host ANY VENDOR cisco INCREMENT NEXUS1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG cisco 1.0 permanent 16 \ HOSTID=VDH=7647652151359566304 \ NOTICE="<LicFileID>n1kv_license_1_0.lic</LicFileID><LicLineID>0</LicLineID> \ <PAK>dummyPak</PAK>" SIGN=5BC8912C52AC
This example shows how to display the output for the Advanced 1.0 to 3.0 upgrade license:
switch# show license upgrade_3_0.lic: SERVER this_host ANY VENDOR cisco UPGRADE NEXUS1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG cisco 1.0 3.0 permanent 16 \ HOSTID=VDH=7647652151359566304 \ NOTICE="<LicFileID>upgrade_3_0.lic</LicFileID><LicLineID>0</LicLineID> \ <PAK>dummyPak</PAK>" SIGN=3A919916D30C
This example shows how to display the output for the Advanced 3.0 license:
switch# show license n1kv_license_3_0.lic: SERVER this_host ANY VENDOR cisco INCREMENT NEXUS1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG cisco 3.0 permanent 16 \ HOSTID=VDH=7647652151359566304 \ NOTICE="<LicFileID>n1kv_license_3_0.lic</LicFileID><LicLineID>0</LicLineID> \ <PAK>dummyPak</PAK>" SIGN=5BC8912C52AC
License installation is a nondisruptive process.
The license file is shared by both Virtual Supervisor Modules (VSMs) in an HA pair.
If your system has dual supervisors, the licensed software runs on both supervisor modules and provides failover protection.
Uninstalling a license file might cause a service disruption.
Types of Licenses
There are 1024 default licenses pre-installed with the Cisco Nexus 1000V for Microsoft Hyper-V software that allow you to try the Advanced Edition before purchasing permanent licenses. You need one license for each CPU socket on each VEM.
Note | The trial period and other licensing information are only relevant to the Advanced Edition license. The Essential Edition license is free and valid forever. |
Default licenses are invalidated when one of the following occurs:
You install a permanent license file.
You install an evaluation license file.
The license trial period expires.
Caution | Service Disruption—Even though virtual Ethernet (vEthernet) interfaces are not dropped on unlicensed VEMs, the following events might affect the vEthernet interfaces: |
If you need additional licenses to cover all VEM CPU sockets, you must obtain either permanent licenses or evaluation licenses from Cisco.com. For additional licensing information, contact your Cisco representative or visit www.cisco.com/go/license.
Evaluation licenses allow you to try the Cisco Nexus 1000V switch before you purchase permanent licenses.
The evaluation period starts when you install the evaluation license file. Unlike default licenses, an evaluation license is not invalidated when you install a permanent license. Instead, evaluation licenses expire only when the license file reaches its expiration date. The validity period might vary and the expiration date is mentioned in the license file.
After installing permanent licenses, you can remove the evaluation license file from the pool if desired.
Evaluation license packs are available from Cisco.com.
Cisco Nexus 1000V permanent licenses do not expire. You can purchase permanent licenses for a fixed number of VEM CPU sockets. You need one license for each CPU socket on each VEM. The license file specifies the number of licenses that you have purchased.
When you upgrade to a new software release, all previously installed permanent licenses remain in effect.
When you purchase permanent licenses, make sure to request enough licenses to cover all of the CPU sockets in the CPUs in all of your VEMs. If you do not have enough licenses available to cover all of the CPU sockets on a particular VEM, no licenses are applied to that VEM. The entire VEM remains unlicensed until sufficient licenses become available to cover all of its CPU sockets.
Any extra licenses are placed into a pool of available licenses on the VSM to be used as needed.
After installing permanent licenses, you can remove the evaluation license file from the pool if desired.
Overdraft licenses are used when the installed licenses are used up. Overdraft licenses can prevent a service disruption if you exceed the number of permanent or evaluation licenses specified in your license file.
The number of overdraft licenses provided is based on the number of licenses that you installed. If you installed 64 or more licenses, the number of overdraft licenses provided is 30 percent of the installed licenses. If you installed less than 64 licenses, the number of overdraft licenses is 16.
The expiration of an overdraft license is tied to the expiration date of the installed license.
If you have licenses that are unused, the VSM stores these unused licenses in a pool of available licenses. Before you can uninstall a license file, you must first return all licenses from its VEMs to the pool.
Once a license has been assigned to the VEM, you can configure how the system treats that license if the VEM goes out of service for any reason.
The Cisco Nexus 1000V switch uses nonvolatile licensing as the default licensing method. With nonvolatile licensing, once a license has been assigned to a VEM, it remains checked out to that VEM even if the VEM is offline. If you want to decommission a VEM, you must manually return its licenses to the pool using the license transfer and no vem commands or the licenses remain unavailable to any other VEMs in the system. For more information about these commands, see the Cisco Nexus 1000V Command Reference.
Keeping the license checked out allows the VEM to return to service immediately after it comes back online. The VEM does not have to wait while acquiring new licenses.
With volatile licensing, when any VEM goes offline, its licenses are immediately returned to the VSM license pool. Once the VEM comes back online, it must acquire new licenses from the license pool.
The following events trigger a renegotiation and synchronization of licenses between the VSM and its VEMs:
Clock change in the VSM system clock
VSM reload
Installing a new license file
Clearing an existing license file
Evaluation license expiration
During the license renegotiation process, system messages alert you if licenses are returned to the VSM pool for a VEM that is offline. This process requires no action on your part because the licenses are returned to the VEM when it comes back online.
Caution | Service Disruption—Volatile licenses are removed from a VEM during a loss in connectivity and must be reassigned when connectivity resumes. We recommend that you use nonvolatile licensing and you transfer unused licenses as described in Transferring Licenses to the License Pool. |
A system message similar to the following is generated when more licenses are being used than are installed. This message indicates that you should add more permanent licenses:
%LICMGR-2-LOG_LIC_USAGE: Feature NEXUS1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKGNEXUS1000V_LAN_SERVICES_PKG is using 17 licenses, only 16 licenses are installed. Please contact your Cisco account team or partner to purchase Licenses or downgrade to Essential Edition. To activate your purchased licenses, click on www.cisco.com/go/license.
A system message similar to the following is generated if there are not enough licenses available for a particular VEM:
%VEM_MGR_UNLICENSED: License for VEM 7 could not be obtained. Please contact your Cisco account team or partner to purchase Licenses or downgrade to Essential Edition. To activate your purchased licenses, click on www.cisco.com/go/license.
A system message similar to the following is generated every hour with a list of modules that are unlicensed:
%VEM_MGR_UNLICENSED_MODS: Modules are not licensed. This will result in network connectivity issues. Please contact your Cisco account team or partner to purchase Licenses or downgrade to Essential Edition. To activate your purchased licenses, click on www.cisco.com/go/license.
As the evaluation license expiration date approaches, the license expiry warning log message informs Advanced edition users about the need to install permanent licenses or change the system to the Essential edition before the evaluation license expiration date. When the Advanced edition is active, messages are logged every day starting from 4 weeks before the license expiry date and every hour on the last day before the licenses expire.
After the expiration date, the existing modules and the interfaces continue to operate and the switch continues to forward the traffic, but if an interface or module flaps, it stays down until the valid licenses are installed or the switch is changed to the Essential edition. In addition, any new interfaces or modules come up in the unlicensed state.
You can disable the advanced features and change the switch edition to Essential even after the licenses have expired.