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Cisco Meraki Documentation

Selecting a Management Mode for Unified Licenses - WIFI7

Overview

This article provides a comprehensive guide on choosing a management mode for your Unified licenses in a Cisco Networking Subscription. Depending on your requirements, you can opt to manage your licenses and devices in cloud mode, hybrid mode, or on-premises mode.

This process applies only to unified licenses under the Cisco Networking Subscription for WIFI7 devices. Other SKUs under Cisco Networking Subscription licensing will be cloud-only.

If you have Term licenses for WIFI7, they will be cloud-only, and on-premises management will not be available.

Prerequisites 

  1. Customers need to claim their subscription in Meraki Dashboard.   How to Claim a Subscription
  2. Customers need to bind their subscription to the network they are going to have managed on-prem.  How to Bind a Network to a Subscription
  3. Customers need to have their Smart Account /Virtual Account information at hand. Smart Account Administration

Choosing Management for WIFI7

Cloud Mode

Customers who manage their licenses, inventory, and WiFi 7 devices through the Meraki Dashboard will enjoy the full cloud experience. No additional actions are required to maintain this experience.

Hybrid Mode

 Customers who manage devices on-premises while still utilizing the Meraki dashboard for your licenses and inventory for ease of management will be in a hybrid mode.

1. Log into the Meraki dashboard by going to dashboard.meraki.com and input your Email and Password. Click Log in once you are ready.

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2. Once you log in, Click on Network-Wide > Management Mode section.  Click on the On-premises managed button.

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3. Add this point you will be prompted to get your wireless LAN controller and your Smart Account credentials, click Get Started button.

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4. Proceed to log in to Cisco Smart Software Manager, click Continue to log inbutton.

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5. Proceed to input the required credentials, click Submit button.

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6. Once you are signed in, you will be brought back to Meraki Dashboard to choose the Smart/Virtual account you will associate with Meraki Dashboard, click Submit button.

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7. click on Validate to bring your available virtual account.

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8. Proceed to choose your Virtual Account.

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Only one Smart Account and Virtual Account can be associated to Meraki Dashboard at a time. 

9. You will be prompted that this virtual account will allocate licenses to your device managed by SSM on-prem, click Next.

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10. To associate APs via discovery Wireless LAN Controller click Next.

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11. Click on the Confirm check box and read the Terms & Conditions.

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this action will disconnect all your APs from the network you are moving to on-prem management.  After the reboot, the APs will try to discover the Wireless LAN Controller.

12. Once you have reviewed the Terms & Conditions, Click on the Confirm

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13. You will be prompted that your changes have been saved.

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Note: If you have an On-Prem SSM and have not yet assigned your devices to your Meraki Dashboard network, Your devices will be automatically assigned to the Network you configured.  Also, your On-Prem SSM must sync each time a new AP is activated to get a license.

14. Once this hybrid mode is set, log in to Cisco Software Central and click on Manage Licenses under the Smart Software Manager to view the assigned licenses in your CSSM.


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15. Navigate to the Smart Software Licensing page and click on the Inventory tab.

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16. Navigate to Click on the Licenses tab. The total quantity of licenses sourced externally is displayed under Available to Use in your Networking Cloud Virtual Account. These metrics are incremented by in-compliance device assignments from Meraki Dashboard, and the balance reflects the actual balance of licenses.

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You are not able to edit or delete any licenses in CSSM in that Virtual Account while in this mode because they are managed in Meraki Dashboard.

On-Prem Mode

Customers who manage their licenses, through the Cisco Smart Software Manager (CSSM) and their WIFI7 devices via WLC will have the full on-prem experience. No additional actions are required to maintain this experience.  Smart Account Administration

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