Licensing for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) - FAQ
MSPs typically provide network services to their own end customers. We make some recommendations for how an MSP should structure their Cisco Meraki networks if they want multiple customers to have different license termination and renewal dates.
Q: How does Cisco Meraki licensing work?
A: Cisco Meraki devices use the cloud for centralized management and control. Access to the Cisco Meraki cloud is based on a co-termination licensing model. Each organization is licensed for a certain number of devices, where all networks and their devices will expire on the same day, irrespective of when individual licenses were purchased. This co-termination date is established based on a number of factors including number of licenses and devices. A fuller licensing FAQ to explain this process is available here.
Q: What is an ‘organization’?
A: An organization is an administrative entity that can contain thousands of networks. A network is a group of Cisco Meraki devices that can be managed collectively (e.g. 5 APs at a store, or 1000 APs at a campus). An example of an Organization -> Network hierarchy is a retailer using a single organization to manage 100 networks, with 1 network for each of their 100 physical sites. Because licensing happens on a per-organization basis, there will be one co-termination date for all of these networks. More information on the organization -> Network structure is available in this KB article.
Q: I’m an MSP and have multiple different customers, but one organization. What are the implications of co-termination of licenses?
A: If you’re using one organization to manage all of your customers, all of their licenses will expire on one date due to co-termination. Co-termination is designed to simplify licensing so that a customer only has to renew once, but for an MSP, we understand that there may be a requirement for customers to have different co-termination dates.
Q: How can I create and manage multiple organizations?
A: Simply create multiple Meraki accounts at dashboard.meraki.com with the same e-mail address, and reset your password on all of these accounts to match. More details on this process are available here.
Q: What is the process to move networks and devices from a single organization to a multi-org view?
A: Meraki has designed and rolled out a new ‘Multi-org’ view for the management of multiple organizations with different licensing co-termination dates. Moving from a single-org to multi-org view is a multi-step process and will require assistance from Meraki Support. One of our MSP Support Specialists will be happy to assist you.
Q: What are the immediate next steps for me?
A: If you want to split up a single organization, contact Meraki Support requesting an organization split and an MSP Support Specialists will provide you with a list of instructions and will guide you through the process.
Q: What are the limitations of splitting an organization?
A: There are several key limitations that should be considered before splitting an organization:
- Splitting an organization does not transfer historical usage data; e.g. Event Log and Change Log entries.
- Splitting an organization does not transfer end user accounts; i.e. they must be manually recreated.
- Combined networks will be uncombined after the split.
- Systems Manager networks cannot be split out of an existing organization.
- Networks cannot be split to existing organizations, only new organizations will be created.
- Networks that use, or have used, billing cannot be split out of an existing organization.
- The process is not reversible.