The Downside of Multi-Year Licenses

[wirednot]

We are doing some evolving of our network and end up with a number of MXs no longer in use, never to return. Each has at least two years of licensing left. In the Cisco world, we'd drop these from Smartnet to not pay for support on something unused. For the steep price of Meraki licenses, it would be nice to be able to do something with the remaining time on these no-longer-needed licenses- like stretching out the license period for the rest of the organization. I get that refunds would be silly, but why not give some sort of credit when a device is removed for good but has years of license life left?

[ElliotGardner]

You should be able to apply the licenses to new hardware, is that not something you're looking to do?

[PhilipDAth]

Multi-year licences have pretty good discounts, so you probably have not lost out that bad over buying annual licencing.

I don't know this for sure, but due to the way licences are weighted I would try removing the MX's from your organisation inventory all together.  Note your overall end licence date before and after.  It might stretch the date afterwards due to the weighting.

[PhilipDAth]

Scratch that, I was wrong.

https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Licensing/Licensing_Guidelines_and_Limitati...

"Note: The organization co-termination date does not depend on the current device count, but rather the license limit. Removing devices from a network or organization will not impact the co-termination date"

[MilesMeraki]

You could just remove the device from a network and then un-claim it from the organisation. Request for Meraki support to move the license to another parking organisation which you also claim the device into.

This would cause the co-termination license date to change however would allow for some form of consistency with devices and licenses in your main organisation.

The Meraki Licensing calculator is also a good place to start when trying to understand/workout co-termination dates -

https://documentation.meraki.com/zGeneral_Administration/Licensing/Using_the_License_Calculator

[wirednot]

Thanks, all that I get. I'm talking about removal and retirement of a device, with active license left. Not simply repurpose of a device. Been a Meraki customer since long before Cisco aquisition, and get all the things you CAN do. I'm talking about orphaned licenses that will run out unused.

[Bovie2K]

I really wish the co-term date would run off current devices not licensed devices.

[PeterJames]

@Bovie2K Agreed.

Agreed.

E.g.

1 year for 1 Device > Add 2 Devices > 0.5 Years for 2 devices.
And
1 years for 2 devices > Remove 1 Device > 2 Years for 1 Device.

[PeterJames]

Would you be happy if they offered a 25% value return to recycle the license? Just curious what you might be expecting back.

Thank you,
Peter James

[wirednot]

Is really no specific thing I have in mind, just something that negates the dollars left on the table from orphaned licenses. Your example is certainly better than the current alternative.