Licensing for Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches – Part 1

LAN Base: This provides Enterprise access layer 2 switching features

● IP Base: This provides Enterprise access layer 3 switching features

● IP Services: This provides Advanced enterprise layer 3 switching (IPv4 and IPv6) features

1. The LAN Base feature set provides improved intelligent services for example wide-ranging Layer 2 features, supporting up to 255 VLANs.

2. The IP Base feature set supplies entry-level basic enterprise services in addition to all the standard LAN Base features, supporting 1K VLANs. IP Base also provides with the support for wireless controller functionality (mobility agent and mobility controller roles; additional access point license is necessary for the mobility controller role), routed access, smart operations, FNF, etc.

3. The IP Services feature set supplies full enterprise services including advanced Layer 3 features like EIGRP, OSPF, BGP, PIM, and IPv6 routing including OSPFv3 and EIGRPv6. All the software feature sets have support for advanced security and MQC-based Quality of Service (QoS).

The Catalyst 3850 Series Switches having a LAN Base feature set can only be stacked with other Catalyst 3850 Series LAN Base networking switches. The same goes for IP Base and IP Services. A mixed stack of LAN Base switches with IP Base or IP Services feature set will not be supported.

The 12-port and 24-port SFP+- and SFP-based models along with the 48-port SFP+ model can only be ordered with IP Base or IP Services licenses. Consequently, to stack with the LAN Base models, they must be configured in LAN Base mode from the CLI.

Users can transparently upgrade the software feature sets in the Catalyst 3850 Series Switches via Cisco IOS Software CLI utilizing the right to use (RTU)-based software upgrade procedure. Software activation empowers the Cisco IOS Software feature sets. Based on the license type, Cisco IOS Software triggers the applicable feature set. License types can be modified, or upgraded, to trigger a different feature set.

Software Policy for Catalyst 3850 Series Switches

Users with Cisco Catalyst LAN Base and IP Base software feature sets will be supplied with maintenance updates and bug fixes developed to uphold the acquiescence of the software with available specifications, release notes, and industry standards compliance as long as the original end user continues ownership or use of the product, or up to one year from the end-of-sale (EOS) date for that product, whichever happens first. Users having licenses for Cisco IP Services software images need a service support contract like Cisco SMARTnet Service to be able to download updates. This policy takes the place of any preceding warranty or software statement and is subject to alteration without notice.

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Licensing for Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches – Part 2

Cisco ONE Software is an innovative method for users to buy and use Cisco’s infrastructure software. It provides an easy consumption model, focused on frequent user scenarios in the data center, WANs, and LANs.

Cisco ONE Software and services supply users with 4 key advantages:

Software suites which tackle typical user scenarios at an affordable cost
Investment defense of their software purchase via software services-empowered license transportability
Access to continuing modernization and new technology via Cisco Software Support Service (SWSS)
Flexible licensing models to effortlessly allocate the user’s software expense over time

For ordering information for Cisco ONE Software for the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches, go to http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/software/one-access/switching-part-numbers.html.

Available Licenses for the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches

Software Licenses
C3850-12-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 12-port IP Base to IP Services RTU paper license
C3850-24-L-S	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port Switch LAN Base to IP Base RTU paper license
C3850-48-L-S	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port Switch LAN Base to IP Base RTU paper license
C3850-24-L-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port LAN Base to IP Services RTU paper license
C3850-48-L-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port LAN Base to IP Services RTU paper license
C3850-24-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port IP Base to IP Services RTU paper license
C3850-48-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port IP Base to IP Services RTU paper license
L-C3850-24-L-S	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port LAN Base to IP Base RTU electronic license
L-C3850-48-L-S	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port LAN Base to IP Base RTU electronic license
L-C3850-24-L-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port LAN Base to IP Services RTU electronic license
L-C3850-48-L-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port LAN Base to IP Services RTU electronic license
L-C3850-24-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 24-port IP Base to IP Services RTU electronic license
L-C3850-48-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 48-port IP Base to IP Services RTU electronic license
L-C3850-12-S-E	Cisco Catalyst 3850 12-port IP Base to IP Services RTU electronic license
Access Point Licenses
L-LIC-CT3850-UPG	Primary upgrade license SKU for Cisco 3850 wireless controller (e-delivery)
L-LIC-CTIOS-1A	1 access point adder license for Cisco IOS Software based wireless controller (e-delivery)
LIC-CT3850-UPG	Primary upgrade license SKU for Cisco 3850 wireless controller (paper license)
LIC-CTIOS-1A	1 access point adder license for the Cisco IOS Software based wireless controller (paper license)

Access Point Licensing for Cisco Catalyst 3850: An access point license is necessary for Cisco Catalyst 3850 switches functioning in mobility controller mode. No access point license is necessary for a Catalyst 3850 switch functioning in mobility agent mode. This feature is included in the IP Base feature set. Other equipment which can function as a mobility controller include the WLC 5760, WLC 5508, and WiSM2 wireless controllers. Access point licenses can be relocated only amongst two Catalyst 3850 switches or amongst 3850 and 5760 controllers and vice versa.

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Cisco IOS Software Feature Licenses – Part 1

There are four Cisco IOS Software feature licenses for the Cisco Catalyst 2K and 3K switches.

LAN Lite: Enterprise Entry Level Layer 2 Switching
LAN Base: Enterprise Access Layer 2 Switching
IP Base: Enterprise Access Layer 3 Switching
IP Services: Advanced Layer 3 Switching

For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the most popular Cisco Catalyst switches series: Cisco Catalyst 2960, Catalyst 2960-S, Catalyst 3560-X and Catalyst 3750-X.

LAN Lite License for Cisco Catalyst 2960 and 2960-S Series Switches

The LAN Lite and LAN Base are two common licenses for the 2960 and 2960-S switches. As the name implies, LAN Lite is an entry level license for enterprise layer 2 access switches with a plethora of useful features like 802.1Q trunking, (M)STP, STP extensions, CDP, DTP, UDLD, VTPv2, PAGP/LACP, and LLDP. It also supports critical safety features such as TACACS+, RADIUS, port security, 802.1X and DHCP snooping. A LAN lite license does not give layer 3 routing capabilities. Nor does it contain advanced security and management aptitudes like Dynamic ARP Inspection and cutting-edge QoS outside some rudimentary functions like priority queuing.

LAN Base License for Cisco Catalyst 2960, 2960-S, 3560-X, and 3750-X Series Switches

LAN Base is a potent license for layer 2 access switches. Its wide array of access features encompasses all LAN Lite capabilities and also gives more vigorous features such as VTPv3 and FlexLinks. VTP version 3 gives improved administrative regulation over VLAN topology information sharing to minimize inadvertent or troublesome changes. It also gives more VLAN environment support like expanded ISL VLAN support range. FlexLinks enhances Layer 2 resiliency by adding a pair of fast converging active and backup links between access and distribution switches. LAN Base allows layer 3 routing by adding static routing support. Many robust security capabilities are added in LAN Base, too. Examples include Flexible Authentication, Radius Change of Authorization and advanced 802.1X features. On the management side, a large number of capabilities become accessible via LAN Base like a broader array of MIBs, Ingress policing, Trust Boundary, AutoQoS, and DSCP mapping.

If you possess a basic layer 2 access network with fundamentally no routing requirements and no advanced security or management needs, you may wish to consider LAN Lite. For a majority of enterprise layer 2 networks, LAN Base is a minimum need. It provides you a secure layer 2 access network with outstanding network manageability, security and user experience.

To find out more, please speak with our Cisco Licensing Specialists here.

Licenses and Warranties for the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches – Part 1

Companies can now transparently upgrade the software feature set in the Cisco Catalyst 3850 Series Switches via Cisco IOS Software CLI by the use of the right to use (RTU)-based software upgrade procedure. Software activation empowers the Cisco IOS Software feature groups. Founded on the license’s category, Cisco IOS Software triggers the suitable feature set. License types can be altered, or upgraded, to trigger a different feature set.

The three feature sets which are available for all Cisco Catalyst 3850 switches are:

LAN Base: Enterprise Access with Layer 2 switching features
IP Base: Enterprise Access with Layer 3 switching features
IP Services: Advanced Enterprise Access with Layer 3 switching (IPv4 and IPv6) features

No PAK (product activation key) is compulsory for software licensing in the Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches. Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches employ a trust-based RTU licensing model. While placing the order, the customer simply indicates the requisite license requirement and then receives an electronic or paper license for entitlement purposes.

There are two main types of Cisco Catalyst 3850 series switches licenses: the Permanent RTU license and the Evaluation RTU license. These are offered for both image-based licensing (IP Base or IP Services) and AP count licensing.

A permanent RTU license is a paid license having no expiration date. The universal Cisco IOS XE Software-based images possess all three license levels: LAN Base, IP Base, and IP Services. RTU CLI commands enable the switch license to be relocated amongst different license levels.

An evaluation RTU license permits the client to assess image-based and/or AP count license for 90 days at no cost.

To find out more, please speak with our Cisco Licensing Specialists here.

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