Meraki MX/Z Security and SD-WAN Licensing

Teleworker Features by License Options   

Feature	Z-Enterprise	Secure Teleworker
Centralized management	✔	✔
Zero-touch firmware updates	✔	✔
True zero-touch provisioning	✔	✔
24x7 enterprise support	✔	✔
Open APIs	✔	✔
Automatic WAN failover	✔	✔
Sub-second site-to-site VPN failover	✔	✔
Sub-second dynamic path selection	✔	✔
Cellular failover	✔	✔
Stateful firewall	✔	✔
VLAN to VLAN routing	✔	✔
Advanced Routing	✔	✔
Traffic shaping/prioritization	✔	✔
Site-to-site VPN	✔	✔
Client VPN	✔	✔
Splash pages	✔	✔
Configuration templates	✔	✔
Group Policies	✔	✔
Client connectivity alerts	✔	✔
Source-Based Routing	✔	✔
Local Breakout (IP based)	✔	✔
Umbrella DNS Integration**		✔
Geography based firewall rules		✔
Content filtering		✔
YouTube Content Restriction		✔
Web Search Filtering		✔
Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)		✔
Threat Grid Integration**		✔
WAN Health Analytics (MI)		✔
VoIP Health Analytics (MI)		✔
Smart breakout		✔

Virtual MX (vMX) License Breakdown

Meraki vMX is a virtual security and SD-WAN appliance that creates a fast, secure, and persistent connection between networks across different physical and virtual mediums, different cloud hyperscalers, and different public cloud regions. 

Any vMX running firmware 19.1 and above supports two licensing options in Co-Termination licensing model.

Enterprise	Advanced Security
Essential SD-WAN Features Secure connectivity	All enterprise features  Advanced Security Features

The vMX Enterprise and vMX Advanced Security have a similar feature set as the MX.  

FAQ 

How are licenses enforced on MX security appliance?

The licenses are on a per-model basis. Every MX model has a corresponding license. They are non-transferable between appliance models. For instance, an MX64 license will not be covered by an MX84 license.

Can we mix two license types in a single organization?

Yes, but it depends on the Organization's use-case. The following use-cases are possible:

1. Organization is licensed in Co-termination Enterprise license: this Org can add Per device Z-Series

1. Organization is licensed in Co-termination Advanced Security license: this Org can add Per Device SD-WAN+ licenses.

Check section Per Device SD-WAN+ licenses for more details. Example: if you have 25 MX networks in your organization, you can have 20 MX devices with Advance Security features and upgrade 5 MX devices with Per Device SD-WAN Plus licenses to get SD-WAN features.

 

Is there a separate license to cover support or device warranty or software upgrades?
Each license is inclusive of device RMA, 24x7 enterprise support, and software upgrades. 

 

Will there be a requirement to pay extra for new features?

New features are added by license type.

• Features added to the enterprise license option will be available free-of-charge to all existing MX customers.
• Features added to the advanced security license option will be available free-of-charge to all existing MX customers with an advanced security or SD-WAN Plus license.
• Features added to the Secure SD-WAN Plus license option will be available free-of-charge to all existing MX customers with an SD-WAN Plus license.

 

Are MX licenses available on both Co-Term and PDL versions?

All of the MX licenses are available under Co-Term as well as Per-Device Licensing (PDL), with the exception of the Per Dev SDW+ license, which is not supported in PDL. For More information and general differences between the two, please see the documentation on Meraki Licensing.

 

Can you move from one MX license edition to another, for example, Enterprise to Advanced Security or SD-WAN Plus?

Currently, there are two ways to move to a different MX license edition:

• Purchase the desired MX license type (one license for all compatible MXs in the organization) and apply them to the organization which will convert the entire organization to the desired license type. Note: This will adjust your remaining licensing term depending on the license type (duration, MX model, license type)

  • If you are claiming the key using the “Renew my dashboard” option (in the co-termination licensing model), it will automatically upgrade the entire organization to reflect the product edition of the new key. Note: There is no such thing as a “partial” renewal in the co-termination model, so if you wish to convert using this option, you must ensure you have new licenses for all other devices as well.

  • If you are claiming the license using the “License more devices” option, you will need to reach out to Meraki Support for assistance, as the organization (all existing MX licenses) will first need to be upgraded to the desired security edition before the dashboard allows you to claim the new security edition to your organization.  In order for Support to fulfill the request, it must come from a write privilege organizational-level administrator.

• Contact Meraki support and convert the organization to the desired license option. Note: You will have a new co-termination date for your organization with this method.
  • If upgrading moving from Enterprise to Advanced Security, the remaining credit for the MXs will be cut in half due to the increased feature set.
  • If upgrading from Enterprise to SD-WAN+, the remaining credit for the MXs will be cut by 60 to 75% depending on the MX model being converted.
  • If upgrading from Advanced Security to SD-WAN+, the remaining credit for the MXs will be cut by 25% to 50% depending on the MX model being converted.
  • The following MXs are eligible for SD-WAN+ Upgrades: MX64/W, MX65/W, MX67/W/C, MX68/W/CW, MX75, MX84, MX85, MX95, MX100, MX105, MX250, MX450
  • If you are choosing to downgrade your organization's security edition, there will be no additional credit given back.

 

Are free trials available for each of the MX license types?
Yes. Please contact your Meraki Sales representative for more information.

 

How does Warm-Spare MX set up work with the license?
In a network where two MXs are configured in Warm-Spare mode will only require one MX license.

 

Will Meraki Insight be available as a separate license?
No. The separate Meraki Insight license has been deprecated. If you need the Meraki Insight current and future feature sets, please use the Secure SD-WAN Plus license. 

 

 

Is Per Dev SDW+ going to be available on PDL or subscriptions?

No, Per Dev SDW+ is only available in Co-term and won’t be available in PDL or subscriptions.

 

Can Per Dev SDW+ be assigned to networks with Enterprise License?

No, the minimum requirement to have Per Dev SDW+ assignment is for the org to have Advance Security licenses.

 

Will Per Dev SDW+  affect my co-term date?

Yes, it will follow the same logic as the other licenses and will affect the co-term end date.

 

Where can I find information on Licensing and Free Tests for the ThousandEyes integration with the Meraki MX?

The licensing and free tests information for the ThousandEyes integration can be found in the Meraki MX ThousandEyes Configuration Guide

 

Can we still use an Enterprise vMX license in Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus Orgs?  

With the launch of the Advanced Security License for the vMX, Co-Termination organizations with a vMX must have consistent licensing across all vMX and MX devices. Therefore, the vMX must be at Advanced Security if the MX Organization license tier is Advanced Security or Secure SD-WAN Plus. 

Is Secure SD-WAN Plus license supported for the vMX ?  

Secure SD-WAN Plus is not available for vMX, but customers that have Co-Termination organizations with Secure SD-WAN Plus, must use the Advanced Security licenses for the vMX.

What tiers does the vMX support for subscriptions? 

The vMX only supports Essentials and does not support the Advantage tier. If a network includes a claimed vMX, the Advantage tier cannot be set for that product class. Only MX types can support the Advantage tier. There is no change in behavior for subscriptions with the introduction of the security features as Subscription Essentials license tier essentially maps to the Advanced Security tier in Co-termination.

 

Additional Resources

The Meraki MX Sizing guide.

The Meraki MX SD-WAN

The Meraki MX Best Practices