Troubleshoot Smart Licensing with Policy on Catalyst 9K after Upgrade to 17.3.2 and Later

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Updated:July 25, 2023
Document ID:220626

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    Introduction

    This document describes an issue related to Catalyst Platforms from the Cat9k family after upgrading to the latest Cisco IOS® XE 17.3.2.

    Prerequisites

    Requirements

    Cisco recommends that you have knowledge of Smart Licensing operations on Cisco IOS XE devices.

    Components Used 

    The information in this document is based on Cisco IOS XE devices starting 17.3.2 and later.

    The information in this document was created from the devices in a specific lab environment. All of the devices used in this document started with a cleared (default) configuration. If your network is live, ensure that you understand the potential impact of any command.

    Background Information

    The issue involves the failure of Smart Licensing communication with Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM), Cisco Smart License Utility (CSLU), or Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM) On-Prem. Smart Licensing Using Policy (SLP) is an enhanced version of Smart Licensing. It aims to provide a licensing solution that does not disrupt network operations while ensuring compliance with hardware and software licenses. SLP is supported starting with Cisco IOS XE Amsterdam 17.3.2.

     Topology

    Connected to CSSM Through CSLUConnected to CSSM Through CSLU

    Overview of SLP

    SLP eliminates the earlier concepts of Evaluation mode, Registration, and Reservation. Instead, it focuses on reporting license usage. The licenses are unenforced, and licensing levels remain the same. The primary change with SLP is in the reporting and tracking of license usage. This section discusses the terminologies, the reasons for changes, and the new components introduced with SLP.

    Issue Observed

    After upgrading Cat9k switches to the latest Cisco IOS 17.3.2 or later, Smart Licensing communication with CSSM, CSLU, or SSM On-Prem fails.

    Error Message: %SMART_LIC-3-COMM_FAILED: Communications failure with the [chars]: [chars]

    Possible Reason: The failure could be due to network reachability issues or the CSSM server being down.

    Remediation Steps

    Topology 

    Directly connected to CSSMDirectly connected to CSSM

    Steps Involved

    Step 1. Verify Reachability to CSSM

    When using a direct connection to CSSM on a Switch supporting Smart Licensing using Policy (Cisco IOS XE 17.3.2 or later) these steps help establish a connection with the portal and get the licenses:
    1. Verify the Switch can reach the Cisco licensing server.

    Ping reachability to CSSM from the devicePing reachability to CSSM from the device

    note-icon

    Note: Please refer to the Cisco live document in the reference section.

    2. If you can’t reach the server by the domain name, you can configure a DNS static entry, for example:

    Configure DNS static entryConfigure DNS static entry

    3. In order to obtain the IP address of smartreceiver.cisco.com, use nslookup or a similar utility. Currently, it’s being load

    balanced between these IP addresses:

    IP address for smartreceiver.cisco.comIP address for smartreceiver.cisco.com

    Step 2. Configure the Smart Transport on the Switch

    1. The call-home transport can still be used for SLP. However, it’s a legacy method and it is recommended to use smart transport instead.

    Configure the smart transportConfigure the smart transport

    2. If communication with CSSM occurs in a particular VRF, assign a specific source interface as needed:

    Assign specific source interface for VRFAssign specific source interface for VRF

    3. In case you are using a PROXY for internet reachability please configure these commands:

    Configure proxy for internet reachabilityConfigure proxy for internet reachability

    Step 3. Obtain a Token from the CSSM Portal

    Navigate to  software.cisco.com > Smart Software Manager > Manage Licenses . Then, navigate to  Inventory .Then, select the proper Virtual Account and then select  General .

    Step 4. Establish Trust with CSSM

    The switch must establish trust with CSSM using the token obtained from the Virtual Account on CSSM.

    Establish trust with CSSM using tokenEstablish trust with CSSM using token

    Step 5. Trigger a License Usage Report

    After a few minutes in the  show license status  output, you see the  Last report push  and  Last ACK received  timestamps.

    Verify the license statusVerify the license status

    Troubleshoot Steps for CSSM Not Reachable

    If CSSM is not reachable and the configured transport type is "smart", perform these steps:

    After Policy Updates on 17.3.2 Onwards

    1. Verify the smart URL configuration using the command  show license status  in privileged EXEC mode. Ensure that the URL is set correctly to "https://smartreceiver.cisco.com/licservice/license."

    2. Check DNS resolution by pinging "smartreceiver.cisco.com" or the translated IP address using the  ping  command. Example:  ping <public ip>

    For Older Version

    1. Verify DNS resolution by pinging  tools.cisco.com  or the translated IP address using the  ping  command. Example: ping tools.cisco.com
    2. Check if the product instance is set correctly and if the product instance IP network is up. Ensure the interface configuration is not shut down by using the  no shutdown  command in interface configuration mode.
    3. Verify if the device has a subnet mask and a configured DNS IP.
    4. Check the correctness of the HTTPS client source interface using the command  show ip http client  in privileged EXEC mode. Reconfigure it if needed using the  ip http client source-interface  command in global configuration mode.
    5. Double-check routing rules and firewall settings if these steps do not resolve the issue.

    Recommended Actions

    Based on the troubleshooting steps, please take these recommended actions:

    • Ensure the correct smart URL is configured for CSSM communication.
    • Verify DNS resolution for tools.cisco.com or smartreceiver.cisco.com
    • Check the network connectivity of the product instance and interface configurations.
    • Confirm the subnet mask and DNS IP settings.
    • Reconfigure the HTTPS client source interface if necessary.

    Review routing rules and firewall settings if all else fails.

    Conclusion

    In this document, an overview of the SLP is provided, and the issue faced by users after upgrading Catalyst 9300 switches to Cisco IOS XE 17.3.2 is addressed. Troubleshooting steps for CSSM, CSLU, and SSM On-Prem communication failures are offered, along with recommended actions to resolve the issue.

    With the recommended actions and troubleshooting steps, users can resolve the Smart Licensing registration failure and establish successful communication with CSSM, CSLU, or SSM On-Prem.

    Related Information

    Revision History

    Revision Publish Date Comments
    1.0
    25-Jul-2023
    Initial Release
    TAC Authored

    Contributed by Cisco Engineers

    • Samitha Simon
      Cisco TAC Engineer

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