Introduction

This document provides an overview of the Smart Licensing Using Policy feature, detailed information about the HTTP REST APIs (IOS-XE SLP REST APIs) that are available on a product that supports the feature, required configuration on the product to execute the available APIs, examples that show you how you can execute the APIs using the Postman application, and guidance on how to obtain technical support.

About Smart Licensing Using Policy

Smart Licensing Using Policy (SLP) is a software license management solution that provides a seamless experience with the various aspects of licensing.

With this license management solution, you do not have to complete any licensing-specific operations, such as registering or generating keys before you start using the software and the licenses that are tied to it. Only an export-controlled license, or an enforced license, or configuration of throughput that is greater than 250 Mbps, requires Cisco authorization before use. This authorization is in the form of an authorization code known as the Smart Licensing Authorization Code (SLAC), and must be installed on the product instance which is consuming the licenses or throughput.

Once the product instance (physical or virtual device) is running a software version that supports SLP, the product instance records license usage with timestamps, and generates Resource Utilization Measurement reports (RUM reports), which are license usage reports.

A product instance that is running a software version that supports SLP will also have a policy. The policy determines:

  • If and by when you must send RUM reports to Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) - to report usage.
  • If an acknowledgment from CSSM is required for a RUM report. An acknowledgement (RUM ACK) is a response from CSSM and provides information about the status of a RUM report and can be installed on the product instance.

About IOS-XE SLP REST APIs

A product instance supporting SLP provides HTTP REST APIs. Throughout this document, these APIs are referred to as IOS-XE SLP REST APIs.

To use the IOS-XE SLP REST APIs, you must enable an HTTP or HTTPs server and configure a management-interface on the product instance. You can then build your own Smart Licensing application (which you can integrate with your network management systems), and call the required REST API over a management interface.
The following figure illustrates what such a set-up looks like, and the subsequent sections provide details about what is required to get started.

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IOS-XE SLP REST APIs enable you to perform the following licensing functions:

  • Collect RUM reports from the product instance.
  • Revert to the product instance with a RUM ACK.
  • Import a SLAC.

    Note: An API to return a SLAC is currently not available. This will be available in a subsequent release.

  • Import a custom policy.

Note: Only IOS-XE SLP REST APIs are covered in this document, and they are designed for licensing workflows between the product instance and your own Smart Licensing application. For communication between your own Smart Licensing application and CSSM, you can use CSSM APIs (Smart Accounts & Licensing APIs), or complete the workflows manually, by logging in to the CSSM Web UI at https://software.cisco.com.