The following are the licensing requirements for Cisco APIC-EM and its applications (apps):

• Cisco APIC-EM controller software and its basic apps (for example, Network PnP, Inventory, Topology, and EasyQoS):

  • No fee-based license is required. The controller software and basic apps are offered at no cost to the user.

  • You can download the controller software (ISO Image) and run it on bare-metal Cisco UCS servers or run the ISO image on a virtual machine in a VMware ESXi environment. In both cases, you need to ensure the required CPU, memory, and storage resources are available.

• Solution apps (for example, IWAN and any similar Cisco-developed solution app):

  • A per-device license is required to run the solution apps.

  • The solution apps licenses can only be acquired by purchasing Cisco® Enterprise Management 3.x device licenses, which also include the Cisco Prime™ Infrastructure licenses. The process for acquiring Cisco Prime Infrastructure 3.x device licenses is explained in the Cisco Enterprise Management Ordering Guide:

    Cisco Enterprise Management 3.x, Prime Infrastructure 3. x APIC-EM Ordering and Licensing Guides

    Note	The same license-acquisition process will also provide you with the right-to-use (RTU) licenses for APIC-EM solution apps. RTU licenses do not involve license files.

The following Cisco APIC-EM technical support options are provided:

• Cisco APIC-EM hardware appliance:

  Hardware support is provided through the Cisco SMARTnet® Service.

• Cisco APIC-EM controller, basic apps, and services:

  Cisco® TAC support is offered at no additional cost, if you have SMARTnet on any Cisco networking device.

• Cisco APIC-EM solutions apps and services:

  TAC support is offered at no additional cost, if you have a SWSS (maintenance contract) on Cisco® Enterprise Management 3.x device licenses.