Registering and Activating a License on the Cisco ISA500

Application Note

Registering and Activating a License on the Cisco ISA500 Security Appliance This application note provides information about registering and activating a license on the Cisco ISA500 Series security appliance. This document includes these topics:

• Overview

• Registering and Activating the License

• Setting Up Email Alerts

• Renewing the License

• Troubleshooting

• For More Information

Overview

The ISA500 Security Appliances are bundled with 1-year or 3-years of Cisco Comprehensive Security Subscription services. These services work with the device to help prevent intrusion and attacks, stop email spam and viruses, block malicious websites, and control website access and application usage. Easy to manage with a "one subscription” license, these can be used to protect small businesses from multiple threats and attacks.

Before you can use these security services, you must register and activate the license on your device by using the Product Authorization Key (PAK). This key allows you to generate a software activation license that is unique to your device. The PAK ID number is located on the Software License Claim Certificate (Figure 1) that ships with your ISA500 and includes instructions on how to register the license.

You also have the option to purchase and renew the ISA500 license. See Renewing the License, page 10. To receive a reminder to renew the license before it expires, see Setting Up Email Alerts, page 8.

NOTE An active Internet connection and a Cisco.com account is required to register the license. If you are not yet a Cisco.com registered user, go to www.cisco.com, and click the Register link near the top right corner of the web page.

© 2012 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 1 of 14

www.cisco.com

www.cisco.com

Figure 1 Cisco Software License Claim Certificate

IMPORTANT. Make sure that you save this certificate. If you need to contact technical support, this information may be required for troubleshooting purposes.


Registering and Activating the License

Use one of the following methods to install and activate the license:

• License Installation using the Setup Wizard

• License Installation using the License Management Page

• License Installation through Cisco.com

NOTE Licenses between the different model numbers are not interchangeable. For instance, a license for an ISA550 cannot work on an ISA770 and vice versa.

License Installation using the Setup Wizard

Step 1. Choose Configuration Wizards > Setup Wizard.

Step 2. When the License Installation step appears, enter the PAK ID and email address as shown to install the license.

Step 3. Follow the screens to complete the installation.


License Installation using the License Management Page

NOTE Make sure that the system is set to the current time before proceeding (Device Management > Date and Time).

Step 1. Choose Device Management > License Management and click the Action button.

Step 2. Choose License Code (PAK) from Cisco.com as the License Type. This option automatically retrieves and installs the license on the ISA500 from the Cisco server


Step 3. Enter the PAK string in the License Code field, your Cisco.com Login and Password, and the registered Email Address that you want the PAK to be sent to.

Step 4. Check the box to accept the Software End User License Agreement (SEULA).

Step 5. Click Validate License.

It can take up to 1 to 2 minutes to install the license.

After the license is successfully installed, its status appears on the License Management page.

Step 6. Continue to ”Activating the License” on page 8.


License Installation through Cisco.com

NOTE If you have problems with the registration website or additional questions, please contact the Cisco Small Business Support Center (SBSC) at: www.cisco.com/go/sbsc.

Step 1. Go to www.cisco.com/go/license.

Step 2. If you are registering only one device, enter the Product Authorization Key (PAK) (found on the Software Claim Certificate) and click Fulfill Single Pack. If you are registering additional devices, click the Load 10 PAKs link. You can enter up to 10 PAKs.

Step 3. Specify the PAK and SKU quantities, product ID and serial number, and then click the Assign button. If you don’t know your device product ID and serial number, click the Read More link.


www.cisco.com/go/license

www.cisco.com/go/sbsc

www.cisco.com/go/sbsc

Step 4. Verify your order and click the Get License button to complete the transaction.

Step 5. The Software License Activation key will be sent to you through email or you can download it immediately by clicking the Download License button.

Step 6. Continue to the next section, Activating the License.


Activating the License

Step 1. Choose Device Management > License Management and click the Action button.

Step 2. Choose License File download from cisco.com as the License Type.

Step 3. Click the Browse button and locate the license file that was previously downloaded to your computer.

Step 4. Check the box to accept the Software End User License Agreement.

Step 5. Click the Validate License button to activate the license.

When the activation is complete, a success message window appears.

Setting Up Email Alerts

We recommend that you set up an email alerts to receive a reminder to renew the license before it expires. Click the Email Alerts button on the Device Management > License Management page and then click the Email Alert setting link to configure the alerts.

Email Alerts are sent one month, one week, one day and one hour prior to the license expiration date. License expiration alerts will also appear in the log files. You can also set up logging for email alerts from the Device Management > Logs > Log Settings page. For more information, see Troubleshooting, page 12.


Alternatively, you can choose Device Management > Administration > Email Alert to configure the email server settings. To activate the alerts, check the License Expiration Alert box.


Renewing the License

After the license expires, the Security Subscription Services is turned off until the license is renewed. We recommend that you purchase and activate a new license before it expires.The following table shows the different renewal licenses and ordering SKUs.

Finding your Device Information

You must contact your Cisco reseller to purchase a license. When ordering, the series number, PID, and Serial Number (S/N) of your device will be required. You can find this information printed on the sticker on your device, from the Status > Dashboard page, or from the Device Management > License Management page.

Sticker on the Device

Renewal Licenses Product Number (SKU)

Cisco Comprehensive Security Subscription for ISA550 Series – 1 Year L-ISA550-CS-1YR=





Status > Dashboard Page

Device Management > License Management Page

NOTE A valid Cisco.com account is required to validate the security license. If your credentials are not configured, go back to the Device Management > Cisco Services & Support > Cisco.com page to configure them.


Troubleshooting

This section contains information that helps you resolve problems you might encounter when installing the license.

Q. When I activate the PAK ID, I receive a License install failure message.

A. If this occurs, check the following:

• Verify that the Product ID on the device is valid. The license file might be corrupted. The Product ID must be one of the following.

– ISA550-K9

– ISA550W-K9

– ISA570-K9

– ISA570W-K9

• Verify that the system time is set to the current time (Device Management > Date and Time).

• Use the Ping page to test the connectivity between the ISA500 and a connected device on the network (Device Management > Diagnostic Utilities > Ping).

• View the licensing log messages to help troubleshoot the problem (Device Management > Logs > View Logs).

If logging is not enabled, follow these steps:

Step 1. Choose Device Management > Logs > Log Settings. In the Log settings area, click On to enable logging.


Step 2. Choose Device Management > Logs > Log Facilities to enable the license logs.

.

To view the license messages in the logs, choose Device Management > Logs > View Logs. Choose the severity level and log type and click the Query button. Use the return messages in the Logs table to troubleshoot the problem.

After all the above checks are complete, activate the PAK ID again. If the license installation still fails, please contact Cisco Technical Support at: www.cisco.com/go/sbsc.


http://www.cisco.com/go/sbsc

For More Information

Cisco, Cisco Systems, the Cisco logo, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Website are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (0705R)

© 2012 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 78-21020-01

Product Resources Location

Product Documentation www.cisco.com/go/isa500resources

Cisco Small Business Support Community www.cisco.com/go/smallbizsupport

Cisco Small Business Support and Resources www.cisco.com/go/smallbizhelp

Phone Support Contacts www.cisco.com/go/sbsc

Firmware Downloads www.cisco.com/go/isa500software

Cisco Partner Central for Small Business (Partner Login Required)

www.cisco.com/web/partners/sell/smb

Cisco Small Business Home www.cisco.com/smb


http://www.cisco.com/web/go/isa500resources/index.html

http://www.cisco.com/go/smallbizsupport

http://www.cisco.com/go/smallbizhelp

http://www.cisco.com/go/sbsc

http://www.cisco.com/go/isa500software

http://www.cisco.com/web/partners/sell/smb

http://www.cisco.com/smb

Documents

Registering and Activating a License on the Cisco ISA500