[c-nsp] Licensing question for ASR9000

[Mark Tinka]

On 24/10/2025 08:27, Gert Doering via cisco-nsp wrote:

>> This is one of the reasons why we've stopped buying Cisco.
>>
>> First, they invent all the licensing bullshit, then, they spend more
>> engineering on licensing enforcement than on "build a working router",
>> and *then* they don't even know how the licensing stuff works.
>>
>> $Customer had this with NCS5700 - there is like 4 (5?) different licenses,
>> to be bought for every 100Gbit/s that are used on interfaces with the
>> corresponding features on them (!?), and because nobody understands
>> what that means in practice, there's a discounted license bundle that
>> includes all of them... (and of course you need to by 800G worth of
>> licensing anyway, as that's the minimum possible).

Unfortunately, Cisco are not alone. Juniper are also quickly going down 
this path, especially with their newer MX line.

I have sensed a linear relationship between this strategy and the 
growing silence on c-nsp and j-nsp.

Operators are losing interest.

Mark.