[c-nsp] Router advice

[Seth Mattinen]

Doug McIntyre wrote:
> 
> The PACs are tied to the serial number of the box. You can backup the 
> number you get back from the PAC tool, but if you swap hardware, then 
> you need to go to TAC to get a new PAC. 
> 
> Sure, you can stock spares, then if you need to bring up a spare box,
> you get 30 days of trial license, and you go to TAC and tell them you
> need a new PAC because the old box is borked, and you work it out with
> TAC. If any of your disaster items happen, you go back to TAC and
> explain while running live on your 30 day trial license to get new PACs. 
> Its a very simple solution that in practice works easily. 
> 
> You seem to want to pick on this thread for Cisco's license
> enforcement. I don't work for them. But I can certainly see a need for
> it from their point of view. I do already use Cisco licensing on other
> hardware that has been doing this exact thing for sometime (ie. SanOS
> and PIX), and haven't encountered any the sky-is-falling problems with
> any of it. It seems fair to me, compared to what I'd guess are many
> IOS boxes not being properly licensed for what they are running due to
> Cisco's pretty open licensing policies of years past. 
> 

*shrug* None of the hardware I use uses "universal" images, nor do I
open TAC cases that often (last one was September 2008 for a bricked
877W). The idea they could decide at any time to deny a license transfer
is scary. I'd rather stock spare hardware than pay for same day TAC that
I've never used, and it would really suck if Cisco changed their mind
now that they have the option to do so. My intention is not to pick on
them, but voice concerns.

~Seth