Question 1

What are the main Cisco ASR 9000 license categories?

Accepted Answer

Cisco ASR 9000 uses two license families: Performance licenses (Boost and Performance-on-Demand) to unlock line-rate throughput and Feature licenses (IOS XR Software) to enable protocols and applications such as MPLS, IPv6, QoS and segment routing.

Question 2

How do I select the right ASR 9000 performance license?

Accepted Answer

Match your expected aggregate throughput and per-port line rate to the Boost or Performance-on-Demand (POD) license tier; Boost offers fixed high-capacity tiers, while POD provides dynamic scaling as traffic grows.

Question 3

How do I install a Cisco ASR 9000 license key?

Accepted Answer

Use the Cisco License Management (LICOM) CLI: import the .lic file via ‘license install usb0:’, then commit with ‘license commit’, and verify with ‘show license detail’.

Question 4

How can I verify installed ASR 9000 licenses and usage?

Accepted Answer

Run ‘show license status’ for license state, ‘show license detail’ for payload, and ‘show platform hardware throughput level’ to confirm active performance capacity.

Question 5

What is the difference between permanent and evaluation licenses on ASR 9000?

Accepted Answer

Permanent licenses never expire and remain active after installation; evaluation licenses are time-limited (typically 60 days) and revert to base functionality upon expiration.

Question 6

Can I upgrade an existing ASR 9000 license in the field?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Purchase the higher-tier license SKU, install the new .lic file with ‘license install’, then commit; the router upgrades without hardware replacement or downtime.

Question 7

How does Cisco ASR 9000 Performance-on-Demand (POD) work?

Accepted Answer

POD lets you deploy a base performance license and add capacity as needed by installing incremental POD licenses, avoiding overprovisioning and aligning cost with actual traffic growth.

Question 8

What happens if an ASR 9000 license expires or is removed?

Accepted Answer

If a feature license expires, the associated protocols disable gracefully; if a performance license is revoked, the router retains the last active level for a 96-hour grace period before reverting to the base throughput.

Question 9

Is Cisco ASR 9000 license portability supported?

Accepted Answer

Licenses are tied to a router’s unique HostID. You can rehost a license to another chassis by generating a new PAK on Cisco.com and using ‘license install’ on the target device.

Question 10

Do I need a separate license for each line card in ASR 9000?

Accepted Answer

No. ASR 9000 performance licenses apply to the chassis as a whole. Feature licenses activate per-platform IOS XR capabilities and are not tied to individual line cards.

Question 11

How do I renew or extend my ASR 9000 evaluation license?

Accepted Answer

Contact Cisco or your reseller for a PAK renewal, then install the renewed .lic file as you would a standard license; evaluation extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis.

Question 12

What CLI commands manage ASR 9000 license grace periods?

Accepted Answer

Use ‘show license grace’ to view remaining grace time. The default grace for performance licenses is 96 hours; feature licenses have a 24-hour grace before protocol disablement.

Question 13

How does IOS XR software licensing differ on ASR 9000?

Accepted Answer

IOS XR uses feature-based licensing: base software features are included, while advanced protocols (MPLS, VPN, subscriber services) require explicit feature licenses installed via LICOM.

Question 14

Can I automate ASR 9000 license installation and compliance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Leverage Cisco Prime Infrastructure or Ansible with the cisco.iosxr.licensing modules to push, commit and audit license files at scale.

Question 15

What is the impact of license violations on ASR 9000 routing?

Accepted Answer

If capacity exceeds licensed throughput, excess traffic is dropped. If a feature license is violated, the affected protocol instances are suspended until compliance is restored.

Question 16

Where can I find Cisco ASR 9000 license SKUs and ordering information?

Accepted Answer

Refer to the Cisco ASR 9000 Series Ordering Guide on Cisco.com for up-to-date license SKUs, part numbers and service-level options tailored to your performance and feature requirements.

Licenses Cisco ASR 9000

ASR-9901-1G-UPG-ASR-9901 UPG LICS FOR 16X1G PO RT

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Questions & Answers

What are the main Cisco ASR 9000 license categories?

How do I select the right ASR 9000 performance license?

How do I install a Cisco ASR 9000 license key?

How can I verify installed ASR 9000 licenses and usage?