Cisco Data Center Network Manager (Cisco DCNM) is Cisco's Multi-Domain manager for NX-OS capable platforms that helps Provision, Monitor, Manage, and Maintain NX-OS based data center deployments. Cisco DCNM supports SAN fabrics, LAN fabrics, IP for media controller and traditional LAN deployments.

Each device being managed by Cisco DCNM needs a license key which provides a Right to Manage (RTM) for a given switch; that license key (or a pack of licenses) may be installed in the Cisco DCNM server (for LAN or SAN function) or on the switch (only for SAN function). Further, the Nexus Essentials or Nexus Advantage licenses for Cisco Nexus switches also provide that RTM for a given switch on which they are installed.

The Cisco DCNM server requires a perpetual license for each instance of the DCNM server (for example, DCNM-SVR-11-K9).

The licensing workflow is as follows:

• DCNM server-based license keys supply a license ID that uniquely identifies the server hosting the DCNM application.

• DCNM server-based license keys are created in such a way that they include this License ID.

• DCNM receives back the license keys and apply them to the installation thereby unlocking the additional features packaged in the DCNM software.

• DCNM switch-based licenses keys (SAN only) may alternatively supply a License ID that is the switch HostID.

• The Nexus Essentials and Advantage Licenses supply an implicit RTM license that is tied to the switch's HostID.

For DCNM server-based licenses, the DCNM keeps a pool of licenses that are assigned to the discovered switches. The DCNM licensed devices feature allows you to select which physical devices you can manage. You assign a license instance to one of the discovered switches.

For switch-based licenses (SAN, Nexus Essentials, or Nexus Advantage), the DCNM will indicate that the device is managed because DCNM recognizes that the device carries an RTM license.

You can add as many devices to licenses as your licenses support. For example, if you install two LAN Enterprise licenses that each support 5 devices of a given type of device, you can add a total of 10 devices to the list of licensed devices.

You can also remove devices from the list of licensed devices and replace them with other devices.

When you try to use a Cisco DCNM licensed feature to configure a device that you have not added to the list of licensed devices, the Cisco DCNM client does not allow you to use the feature to configure the unlicensed device.

Cisco DCNM Release 10.x is packaged with a time-based default evaluation license upon installation. An Advanced Feature Trial License exists on the server after the initial installation. On the Cisco DCNM Web Client, a license filename with text of "30DayTrialLicense" is added in Administration > DCNM Server > License page. After 30 days of trial, click Assign All or Unassign All to change all the license from evaluation license to permanent licenses on Cisco DCNM at Administration > DCNM Server > License > License Assignments.

The 30DayTrialLicense provides 500 SAN and 500 advanced feature licenses without having to download or install a single file. This license will work for any licensable switch and expires after 30 days. You must use the MAC address of the DCNM server to fetch an evaluation license or a permanent license from www.cisco.com.

The license costs for Cisco DCNM are determined by the switch platform type and by the number of units within each platform. The advanced feature licenses are available for the following switch platforms: Cisco Nexus 7000, Nexus 7700, Nexus 9200, Nexus 9300, Nexus 9500, Nexus 5000, Nexus 3000, MDS 9100, MDS 9200, MDS 9300, MDS 9500, and MDS 9700 Series switches. Each platform has an individual price that is based on whether it is a LAN versus SAN switch and modular versus a fixed chassis. The advanced features for Cisco Nexus 1000V series switches are part of the image at no cost. In addition, Cisco DCNM has a many features that are enabled for free as part of the image. The features are split between SAN and LAN platforms (hardware support and Cisco NX-OS features) and application-specific features such as VMware path analytics [vCenter integration], performance trending, event forwarding, and so on.

However, the biggest value of Cisco DCNM is its license structure. If you have purchased the Cisco DCNM server-based advanced feature license for any Cisco Nexus or Cisco MDS switches, that license stays valid for the lifetime of the platform at Cisco. For example, if you replace an older switch with a new generation switch of the same platform (that is, MDS 9506 with MDS 9513) the license can be reassigned. Cisco DCNM advanced licenses are also available as part of Cisco Nexus bundle, which are applicable only to DCNM server-based licenses.

Cisco DCNM also supports older Fabric Manager (FM) licenses (SAN only) that have been installed on the switch. These licenses provide high availability (HA) with up to ten management servers that manage a single fabric in parallel. However, Fabric Manager licenses are only valid for the lifetime of the switch inside the data center and expire when the switch is decommissioned from the data center. You can still order switch-based licenses as spares if you prefer the HA capability.

Services contract SKUs (CON-SAU) are required for Cisco TAC support for upgrades from one version of Cisco DCNM to another.

If you would like to evaluate Cisco DCNM in your own environment, Cisco makes the advanced licenses available for 30 days which can be extended by another 60 days if required (EVAL/DEMO site). This demo license is limited to 20 units per platform. Go to www.cisco.com/go/licensing to obtain demo/evaluation licenses.

Administering DCNM Licensed Devices has the following configuration guidelines and limitations:

• You can add only managed devices to the list of licensed devices.

• You can add to the list of licensed devices only as many devices as permitted by all of the advanced feature licenses that you have installed or that are recognized in the switch.

• When you remove a device from the list of licensed devices, the device becomes unmanaged.

  Note	A device will not be deleted from inventory based on a license action.

  If the physical device supports virtual device context (VDCs), all the VDCs on the device are removed from Cisco DCNM. To continue managing the device, you must discover the device.

Cisco DCNM Licensing can be server-based green token or switch-based blue token. Tokens are also called as product identifiers (PIDs).

• Server-based token: Tokens are generic for a given product family. For example, DCNM-LAN-N5K-K9= is a server-based token for Nexus 5000 Series Switches. The server will manage any device it finds for that series of switches. All licenses are tied to the MAC address of the server.

• Switch-based token: Tokens are specific to the managed switch. For example, DCNM-SAN-M92X-K9= is a switch-based token for Cisco MDS 9200 Switches. The token is tied to the host ID of the switch, for example, JAE1842025J. “X” in the token indicates a switch-based license token. This type of token is only used for storage functionality and not for LAN functionality.

You can get a license in the following two ways:

• Purchase with switch

  • Get the software bundle as part of the switch, like N77-C7710-SBUN-P1.

  • Get the Cisco DCNM license as part of the switch, like DCNM-LAN-N9K-K9.

• A La Carte or spare License

  • Purchase an A La Carte Software Bundle.

  • Purchase a Server-based license. For example: L-DCNM-N5K-K9=

  • Purchase a Switch-based license. For example: L-DCNM-S-M97XK9=

Following table displays the various license examples:

See Cisco Data Center Network Manager 10 Data Sheet for more information.

The following terms are used in the Licensing Guide:

• Advanced license: License that unlocks advanced features of Cisco DCNM.

• Chassis serial number: The switch serial number that is used to claim a fabric manager license by providing a valid Product Authorization Key (PAK). This serial number is the same as the Host ID of the switch.

• Evaluation license: License that is time-bound and valid for 30 days for every 20 units of the specified platform.

• Host IDs: MAC address of the Cisco DCNM server used to claim a license by providing a valid PAK or the Host ID of the switch for a switch-based license.

• License enforcement: Mechanism that prevents a feature from being used without first obtaining a license.

• License key file: Switch-specific unique file that specifies the licensed features. Each file contains digital signatures to prevent tampering and modification. License keys are required to use a licensed feature. License keys are enforced within a specified time span. You can download license keys directly from the Cisco website and send it as an email attachment.

• Licensed application: A software feature that requires a license to be used.

• Licensed feature: Permission to use a particular feature through a license file, a hardware object, or a legal contract. This permission is limited to the number of users, number of instances, time span, and the implemented switch.

• Node-locked license: License that can only be used on a particular switch that uses the unique host ID of the switch.

• Permanent license: License that is not time-bound.

• Product Authorization Key (PAK): The feature that allows you to obtain a license key from one of the sites that are listed in the proof of purchase document. After registering at the specified website, you will receive your license key file and installation instructions through an email.

• Product identifier (PID): The product ID that provides information about the product like the name, product number, and so on.

• Proof of purchase: A document that entitles its rightful owner to use licensed features on a Cisco MDS switch as described in that document. This document is also known as the claim certificate.

• Server-based license: Cisco DCNM license that is tied down to the host ID of the management or database server. It is located on the management server or the license pool.

• Switch-embedded license: Fabric manager license that is installed on the switch supervisor enabling FM_package associated with a switch serial number.

• Support: If you purchase Cisco support through a Cisco reseller, contact the reseller directly. If you purchase support directly from Cisco, contact Cisco Technical Support at this URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/support/tsd_cisco_worldwide_contacts.html

• Unlicensed features: Features that come at no cost as part of the product install. These features are unlocked.

Note	The Cisco DCNM installer supports only US English. Installing a license for any locale other than US English results in an error.

This section includes free and licensed DCNM-LAN features. The features for which no license is required are also listed out.

This section includes free and licensed DCNM-SAN features, and the SAN Client features that work with licensed fabric. The features for which no license is required are also listed out.

The following are the features for which no license is required.

• SAN and LAN discovery.

• Event Registration (traps/syslogs/accounting/threshold).

• Event Registration (traps/syslogs/accounting/threshold).

• Web Services (SOAP XML API).

• Federation (upto 10 DCNM servers).

• EMC Callhome.

The following are a few restrictions with respect to opening an unlicensed fabric. Opening a fabric from remote SAN client requires Cisco DCNM Advanced License.

• If you are using a remote Cisco DCNM SAN client, you will not be able to open any unlicensed fabric. The fabric needs to be licensed, and therefore the Cisco DCNM Essential license will not work.

• If you are trying to open an unlicensed fabric from SAN client running on the Cisco DCNM server, you will be able to open only one unlicensed fabric at a time.

• If one instance is opened from a local SAN client, you can not open another instance of an unlicensed fabric.