SLR - Specific License Reservation¶
The Specific License Reservation (SLR) is an alternate approach to licensing your CML instance than the standard Licensing instructions. SLR licensing is a type of Smart Licensing that does not require a direct connection to the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM). An offline or air-gapped CML-Enterprise instance can be licensed with SLR.
SLR is only supported by non-personal product offerings, such as CML-Enterprise and CML-Education. You will also need access to a virtual account with SLR capabilities enabled.
Caution
If you want to delete, move, or redeploy a licensed CML-Enterprise VM, you must deregister the instance first. Only one CML-Enterprise deployment may be associated with each valid license.
If you delete the CML-Enterprise VM without releasing the CML server first, your license will be unusable until you remove the deleted instance in the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM), which requires the assistance of your Smart Account Administrator.
Procedure (CML-Enterprise only)
Connect to the CML server by navigating to its assigned IP address, which is shown in the VM’s console window.
Open https://nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn in your web browser.
Log in using the initial user credentials defined during initial deployment or any application account with administrator privileges.
After successful login, the Dashboard page is shown.
Click on (available only for an application account with administrator privileges) in the menu bar at the top of the Dashboard page.
The Smart Software Licensing page will open.
Click on View/Edit associated with Product Configuration in Smart Software Licensing Status section. Select Enterprise License (CML-ENT-BASE) and click on Save.
Click on Register.
The Smart Software Licensing Product Registration popup will open.
Click on start here to start the SLR process.
Do not paste the Registration Token in the provided text field, nor click Register.
The Ensure Smart Account Can Use License Reservation popup will open.
Click on Yes, My Smart Account is License Reservation Enabled.
The Smart Agent Reservation Mode will be enabled and the Smart License Reservation popup will open.
Click on Generate Reservation Request Code.
The License Reservation Request Code popup will open and contain the generated Reservation Request Code.
Click on Copy to Clipboard to copy the generated Reservation Request Code or click on Save to File… to download ReservationRequestCode.txt file.
Click Close to dismiss the License Reservation Request Code popup.
Open a new web browser window or tab and navigate to the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) page by visiting the Cisco Software Central page and clicking the Smart Software Licensing link in the License section of the page.
This step and the following (CSSM) steps require you to use a web browser that can access the CSSM. Assuming that your CML-Enterprise installation is in an air-gapped, offline lab, you must first switch to a system that has Internet access to perform the (CSSM) steps. You will also need to transfer or re-input the Reservation Request Code from your offline environment to the online system with access to the CSSM web site.
(CSSM) If prompted, log in using your Cisco credentials.
After successful login, the Smart Software Licensing dashboard is shown.
(CSSM) Click on Inventory.
The Inventory pane showing general information for a virtual account will open.
(CSSM) Click on Licenses.
The Licenses pane with all available licenses will open.
(CSSM) Click on License Reservation….
The Smart License Reservation popup will open.
(CSSM) Enter the generated Reservation Request Code or upload the ReservationRequestCode.txt file downloaded from your CML server and click on Next.
(CSSM) Select Reserve a specific license and select number of CML – Base and CML – Nodes licenses and click on Next.
Note
Please be aware that you can only use 1 base and at most 300 node licenses per CML server. If you select more that 1 base or 300 node licenses, the excess licenses will be ignored by your CML server, but they will still be allocated and not available for use in the virtual account.
(CSSM) Click on Generate Authorization Code.
(CSSM) Click on Copy to Clipboard to copy the generated Authorization Code or click on Download as File to download Authorization Code.txt file.
The Authorization Code will be shown on the popup.
Caution
Do not forget to copy or download the Authorization Code because it will disappear when you close the popup.
(CSSM) Click on Close to close the popup.
This step was the last one requiring access to the CSSM. The following steps should be performed on the system whose web browser has access to the CML-Enterprise UI. Do not forget to transfer the Authorization Code from the CSSM to your air-gapped, offline environment where CML-Enterprise is deployed.
Click on in the menu bar at the top of the Dashboard page.
The Smart Software Licensing page will open.
Click on Enter Reservation Authorization Code….
The Enter Reservation Authorization Code popup will open.
Paste the Authorization Code or upload the Authorization Code.txt file, and click on Install Authorization Code.
The Registration Status will change to Registered – Specific License Reservation. The Authorization Status will change to Authorized – Reserved.
Note
To facilitate offline usage, after the CML server successfully reserves the license, it will not release the license even if you stop the VM. Therefore, the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) will consider the license to be in use even when the CML-Enterprise VM is not running.
Before you delete, move, or re-deploy a CML-Enterprise VM, you must deregister the CML server to release its license. Only one CML-Enterprise deployment may be associated with each valid license.
You can release your CML server in the CML-Enterprise UI:
Open the page.
Scroll down to the Licensing Tech Support section.
Search for the Product Information and save the UUID.
Visit the Licensing page.
Click on the Return Reserved Licenses… button.
Click on the Generate Reservation Return Code button in the confirmation dialog. (When you generate the Reservation Return Code, your CML-Enterprise deployment becomes unregistered).
Click on the Copy to Clipboard or Save to File… button.
Switch to a system with Internet access that can reach the CSSM.
Open a new web browser window or tab and navigate to the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) page by visiting the Cisco Software Central page and clicking the Smart Software Licensing link in the License section of the page.
(CSSM) If prompted, log in using your Cisco account.
(CSSM) Click on the Inventory tab.
(CSSM) Click on the Product Instances tab.
(CSSM) Search for your instance UUID.
(CSSM) Click on the
(CSSM) Enter the copied Reservation Return Code and click on the Remove Product Instance button.
Switch back to your CML-Enterprise server.
Open the page in a web browser, and click on the Code Has Been Entered button to complete the release procedure.
Once the release is complete, your license will be free and available for use on another system.
After validation, your CML server is now ready to run simulations.