Cisco Catalyst Center Administrator Guide, Release 3.2.x

PDF

Configure connection mode

Updated: May 5, 2026

Want to summarize with AI?

Log in

Overview

Information about configuring connection mode to manage the connections between smart-enabled devices in your network that interact with Catalyst Center and the Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM).

Connection mode manages the connections between smart-enabled devices in your network that interact with Catalyst Center and the Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM). Ensure that you have SUPER-ADMIN access permission to configure the different connection modes.

The SSL certificate for the SSM must include the associated IP address within the SAN field.

Procedure

1.

From the main menu, choose System > Settings > Cisco Accounts > SSM Connection Mode.

Connection modes include:

  • Direct

  • On-Prem CSSM

  • Smart proxy
2.

Choose Direct to enable a direct connection to the Cisco SSM cloud.
3.

If your organization is security sensitive, choose On-Prem CSSM. The on-prem option lets you access a subset of Cisco SSM functionality without using a direct internet connection to manage your licenses with the Cisco SSM cloud.

  1. Before you enable On-Prem CSSM, confirm that the satellite is deployed, up, and running in your network site.

    If the satellite is configured with FQDN, the call-home configuration of satellite FQDN is pushed instead of the IP address.

    In dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 deployments, on-premises CSSM requires the use of an FQDN. If you enter an IP address, Catalyst Center prompts you to enter an FQDN instead. This requirement applies to both new installations and system upgrades.

  2. Enter the details for the On-Prem CSSM Host, Smart Account name, Client ID, and Client Secret.

    In the Smart Account field, enter the name of one SSM on-prem account only. Do not use a space or an underscore in the name.

    You can change the host/IP value during On-Prem CSSM configuration. This is particularly useful during upgrades when you need to update existing settings to the required FQDN format. Be aware that changing the host/IP may cause your devices to become unsynchronized with the SSM Connection Mode settings.

    For information about how to retrieve the client ID and client secret, see the Cisco Smart Software Manager On-Prem User Guide.

  3. Click Test Connection to validate the Cisco SSM connection.

  4. Click Save and then Confirm.

  5. If there are devices that need to be registered again with the changed SSM, the Need to Re-Register Devices dialog box appears. Click OK in the dialog box.

  6. In the Tools > License Manager > Devices window, choose the devices that you want to register again and click Sync Connection Mode.

    Note
    Such devices display the Connection Mode out of sync tag or message.

  7. In the Resync Devices dialog box:

    • Enter the Smart Account.

    • Enter the Virtual Account.

    • Click Now to start the resync immediately or click Later to schedule the resync at a specific time.

    • Click Resync.

    The Recent Tasks window shows the resync status of the devices.
4.

Choose Smart proxy to register your smart-enabled devices with the Cisco SSM cloud through Catalyst Center. With this mode, devices do not need a direct connection to the Cisco SSM cloud. Catalyst Center proxies the requests from the device to the Cisco SSM cloud through itself.

While provisioning the call-home configuration to the device, if the satellite is configured with FQDN, the FQDN of the satellite is pushed instead of the IP address.