Migration to subscription model

[rabusiak]

Hi!
How the migration looks like? I need to wait until dashboard enters grace period (30days) and the ask Meraki support to convert it to subscription model? I will then have only 30 days to buy&claim all subscriptions + assign them to networks? Maybe I can buy/claim them earlier and they will be dormant until conversion is done? Have lots of network in the dashboard and 30 days might be not enough to migrate them all.

It would be much easier if I could buy all subscriptions centrally and then charge back network owners but it's not possible now. Each network is independant unit with their own local administrators and budgets.

[MaghM]

Hi @rabusiak 

That's correct, Subscription License keys can only be claimed by an expired organization, an organization in a grace period, or a newly created organization (this includes ones created via Organization split) Documentation.

This can be discussed with your sales rep for the next steps as they can convert/change the license related cases and not the support.  Their info can be found in Org>License info page. 

[GreenMan]

In your scenario it sounds like you might want a different subscription for different network owners;   at least, a different subscription for owners who want different terms / license levels, for example.   You don't have to tie all the Networks to the same subs, though a Network can only be bound to one Subs.

[rabusiak]

Yes, I will be buying separate subscriptions for each network 🙂

I'm asking more about real migration experience. How does it looks like.

Let's say dashboard enters grace period.
Will I be able to start adding subscription licenses and assign them to networks while the rest will still run in co-term? Or I need to convert the dashboard before I add first subscription? What will be the consequence of dashboard conversion for those networks which are still on co-term?
What if network owner will fail to pay for subscription withing those 30 days grace period? Can it be extended, how many times? In co-term if one network is out of compliance, entire dashboard goes down. What about those networks which are on subscriptions already?

[GreenMan]

You can't mix and match co-term and subscriptions.  You either remain on co-term or you have all of the Networks in your Organization bound to a Subscription - either the same one or different ones, depending on what you need for each.

[rabusiak]

Obviously... I'm not asking about things I can read myself in the documentation 😉

I'm not Thanos, I cannot just snap with my fingers, buy 200 different subscriptions at one go, claim them and assign to all networks 😄 The process will take couple months.
I need to approach each network owner, double check if all currently used devices are still needed, maybe hardware upgrades, maybe there is a need for some additions etc. Then I'll prepare an offer, owner needs to accept it (just the approval process can take few weeks ;)). Only then I will order subscription...

Dashboard will be converted with first subscription added? So I will be on subscription dashboard with just 1 network and 199 will be in a limbo state, disconnected from the converted dashboard? Will those 199 network operate normally, for how long?

[cmr]

I think you might want to have different organisations for each owner, or group of owners.  As a partner I can access multiple Meraki organisations that my customers use.

[JPAWELCHAK]

Why does it sound like you created a single Org for all your customers and then put their respective network(s) under that single org? That is not best practice. I mean there might be a use case where it might make sense to do so but they as super rare and the Cons outweigh the Pros.

Best practice for an MSP/Consultant is 1 Org for EACH customer with their respective network(s) under their Org. You then add you admin users email to each ORG/NETWORK(S) so they can see the Orgs and its networks under your MSP dashboard.

[GreenMan]

Do you really need a different subscription for every single Network?

I suggest you discuss this directly with your Cisco account team - sounds like you have an unusual set of requirements

[PhilipDAth]

> I need to wait until dashboard enters grace period (30days) and the ask Meraki support to convert it to subscription model?

You wait until the co-term licence expires, and then claim your subscription code.  It will then convert to subscription licencing.  There is no need to contact support.

>I will then have only 30 days to buy&claim all subscriptions

You can buy a subscription and request it to start at a future date (this is what I usually do).

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_Licensing_Overview#...

>Maybe I can buy/claim them earlier

You can buy them earlier - but you can not claim then till your co-term licence expires.

>It would be much easier if I could buy all subscriptions centrally

A subscription can only be used for a single org.  You can then bind it to one or more networks.  You can have multiple subscriptions within a single org.

https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_Licensing_Overview#...

[rabusiak]

Can you confirm how those network which are not yet assigned to any subscription will behave after I add first subscription and the dashboard converts?

• Will those networks still respect co-term expiration date?
• Will co-term expiration date be visible and/or changed (after I take away few devices to license them with first subscription)?
• Will those network be configurable, will devices still pass the traffic etc.
• Can expiration date be expanded (by asking support)? 

[cmr]

@rabusiak you cannot add the subscription until the co-term license has entered the grace period.  In one organisation there is only one co-term date, so there won't be any networks with any other dates.  Or do you mean will the other networks that you haven't added the subscription to still have the remaining grace period days left?

[rabusiak]

1. Organization enters grace period.
2. The 30-days countdown starts.
3. All 200 networks are going to be offline at one date.
4. I buy subscription which will cover devices only for one network.
5. I claim it in the dashboard (dashboard converts to subscription model).
6. 199 networks left (which are not covered by any subscription yet) are still counting toward same expiration date (the one before dashboard conversion)?
7. Or maybe expiration date is re-calculated because I took away few devices out (to license them with subscription)?

[cmr]

I'd suspect that as you are already in the grace period that the date stays the same.  There aren't actually any subscription credits to reallocate.

[GreenMan]

If the co-term Org has expired there is no date.

If you then claim a subscription in that Org, the Org becomes a subscription Org.

Any Network not bound to a subscription will be into a 30-day grace period:   https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Licensing/Subscription_-_License_Compliance_...

[rabusiak]

Just to close this case topic.
For the initial licensing model change I ordered one big 1-year subscription for all my networks. When co-term dashboard expired I claimed the subscription key and it kicks the conversion. Then I assigned subscription to all my networks. In next year I will start buying separate yearly subscrptions per country and assign them individually to networks from particular countries.