How can I release licenses from my device in License Central (LC)?

Introduction

This document explains how to release licenses from a device in License Central (LC), so they can be returned to your account and reassigned for future use.

Video

The purpose of this content is to share information for educational and/or informational use. You may choose to watch the video or read the content below-both provide the same material, so feel free to engage with whichever format you prefer.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure that you have the following:

• Active Cisco.com account
• Access to the device 
• The user accessing License Central must have at least one of the following:
  • Smart Account User/Admin
  • Virtual Account User/Admin

Steps

Step 1: Go to Cisco Software Central and log in with your Cisco.com credentials.

Step 2: Click on Access Cisco License Central under the Cisco License Central section.

Step 3: Enter your Smart Account or use the Search function to locate your Smart Account.

Step 4: Navigate to the left Menu bar and click on the "Devices" tab, and select "Device Inventory” under Devices.

Step 5: You can click on Filters, then click on License connection status and Select Current. To filter only devices that can release the licenses.

Step 6: Select the device from the list or search for it using the Device Identifier or Device Name to which you want to release the license, then click the box to the left of the device name.

Step 7: In the rightmost column, click on the 3 dots to get the drop-down.

Step 8: Select 'Release License' from the dropdown menu.

Note: Devices with Classic Licenses, Devices with No Licenses and Devices that are managed by controllers are excluded from Release Licenses, so the option is greyed out.

Step 9A: If the selected device has a reserved license, you will get a pop-up window to enter the Reservation Release Code. Enter the code and click “Release Reserved Licenses” to proceed OR

Step 9B: You will be asked for confirmation. Please Click Release License.

Step Result: License Released Confirmation pop-up will be displayed on the screen.

Troubleshooting

If you experience an issue during the process explained in this document, open a case in Support Case Manager (SCM).

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For External Customer / Partner Use Only: These instructions are provided to help customers / partners perform the following action themselves to resolve the issue. If the customer / partner runs into issues following the instructions, please have them open a case with licensing support (https://www.cisco.com/go/scm) to help resolve