McDewey

Data sheet Cisco public © 2025 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Managing licenses with Smart Accounts Creating Smart Accounts by using the Cisco Smart Software Manager (SSM) enables you to manage your software licenses from a centralized website. You can set up Cisco SSM to receive daily email alerts and to be notified of expiring subscription licenses that you want to renew. You must order a Cisco Catalyst or Cisco DNA subscription term license in order to purchase a switch with Network Essentials or Network Advantage perpetual licenses. When the license term expires, you can either renew the add-on license to continue using it or deactivate the add-on license and then reload the switch to continue operating with the base license capabilities. Both the base and add-on licenses are also available for a 90-day evaluation period. An evaluation license is activated temporarily, without purchase. An expired evaluation license cannot be reactivated after reload. It is not required to deploy Cisco Catalyst Center just to use Cisco Catalyst, Cisco DNA, or network packages. Meraki dashboard is required to deploy a Catalyst 9300 switch with a Meraki software license. Introduction to Smart Licensing Cisco Smart Licensing is a flexible licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase and manage software across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what users can access. With Smart Licensing you get: • Easy activation: Smart Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire organization—no more product activation keys (PAKs). • Unified management: My Cisco Entitlements provides a complete view into all of your Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using. • License flexibility: Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses as needed. To use Smart Licensing, you must first set up a Smart Account on Cisco Software Central (software.cisco.com). For a more detailed overview of Cisco Licensing, go to cisco.com/go/licensingguide. Table 15. Software licenses Cisco Catalyst Software subscription Cisco DNA Software subscription Cisco Meraki Software subscription Network stack Packages1 3-, 5-, or 7-year terms 3-, 5-, or 7-year terms 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, or 10 year terms Perpetual Tiers Advantage, Essentials Advantage, Essentials Advanced, Enterprise Advantage, Essentials Portability2