Product Identification Standard

The Unique Device Identifier (UDI) is the Cisco Systems product identification standard for hardware products. Cisco strives to provide you with the ability to more effectively integrate and manage evolving Cisco products in your network and business operations. A product identification standard removes barriers to enterprise automation and can help you reduce operating expenses.

The UDI provides a consistent electronic, physical, and associated business-to-business information product identification standard:

Table 1.The UDI is a combination of five data elements:

UDI Data Element	Electronic Visibility	Physical Visibility	Description
PID	X	X	Product ID, also known as product name, model name, product number
VID	X	X	Version ID
SN	X	X	Serial number, the unique instance of the PID
Entity name	X		Type, such as "chassis," "slot," or "power supply"
Product description	X		Additional product information, such as "1- port Gigabit Ethernet"

The combination of serial number and product ID (PID) is unique across all Cisco products.

The PID that is coded on hardware is called a base PID. Additional orderable PIDs may be associated to a base PID. For instance, an orderable PID may describe a packaging configuration for a product or a bundled group of products sold, tested, and shipped together. The base PID is consistent whether the product is purchased directly or through a distributor.

Version Visibility

Cisco continuously improves products through feature additions and bug fixes. Notable product changes are indicated by incrementing the version ID (VID), which provides version visibility to help you understand and manage product changes. VID management is automated in engineering and manufacturing tools and processes, ensuring consistency of changes from product to product. VID changes will be visible on product change notices (PCN) beginning in early 2006.

Operating Expense Reduction

One barrier to operating expense reduction is lack of accurate and detailed network inventory information. UDI removes this barrier by identifying each Cisco product in a network element through a standard interface. Cisco operating systems and third-party network management systems can view and use this data, allowing you to automate your electronic inventory to reduce operating costs. Automating asset management supports reduced total cost of ownership.

Specific UDI benefits include the following:

Identifies individual Cisco products in your networks
Identifies PIDs and SNs for service and replaceable products
Identifies VIDs for product version visibility
Facilitates discovery of products subject to recall or upgrade
Enhances inventory automation of Cisco products

Consistent Across Product Layers

The diagram below illustrates UDI consistency. UDI is designed into hardware products and then instrumented and labeled at the factory. It cannot later be overwritten in error. Operating and management systems discover the UDI through standard interfaces and display the UDI in standard outputs. Standard interfaces include the IETF standard entity-MIB, making UDI accessible in third-party management systems.

Evolutionary Infrastructure

Cisco's technology strategy has three pillars:

higher performance (faster)
intelligent services (smarter)
evolutionary infrastructure (lasting)

These three goals compel us to build integrated features that are consistent across product lines. UDI delivers a lasting product feature designed to help you protect your technology investments.

Next Steps

Contact your Account Team for further information. For software support information, use the Cisco Feature Navigator tool to identify software support for UDI.