Legacy Systems Manager licensing - can I add paid licenses without converting?

[Boyan1]

Hi everyone,

Can I add paid licenses to a legacy free system manager account? 

I don't want to loose the limited features offer of the legacy account (pre-2015) but I do have a need for some devices to experience the new features for which, of course a licenses need to be purchased and then assigned to those devices.

Is that possible?

Thank you

~B

[AjitKumar]

Hi @Boyan1 

I understand the upgrade will impact the complete network and devices.

One idea could be to create a new network and apply the licenses and Invite your selected devices to this network. 

[Boyan1]

@AjitKumar Thank you for the quick reply.

I thought of that but licensing appears to be set at organization level, not network level. Unless I am missing something?

Thank you

~B

[pmhaske]

Hey Boyan,

You are correct, the license will apply to the entire organization.

Once you add in the enterprise license for SM (for activating new features) in your organization it will automatically upgrade the entire organization from Legacy to Enterprise and the process is irreversible. 

To answer your question, you cannot add paid licenses without converting. Legacy and Enterprise models will not co-exist in an organization.

You can create a new organization and apply the paid license to the new org. After that, move (re-enroll) devices that need to use the enterprise features to the new organization.

[Boyan1]

@pmhaske That's a great idea. To create new organization I need a whole new Meraki account, yes? Meaning I can not have more than 1 organizations per login ID?

Thank you

[Bruce]

@Boyan1 You’re able to have multiple organisations linked to a single login, and when you login you get to choose which organisation to administer. When you’re in the Dashboard you also get an additional drop-down menu above the network drop-down menu of the left that allows you to swap between organisations. 

[Boyan1]

@Bruce Thank you Bruce. That's awesome news and an optimal outcome for what I am looking to do.

How do I create new organization? I am already logged in, I can't figure it out, sorry for the dud question. All I can do is created new networks but I don't see how to initiate creating new organization?

Thank you

~B

[pmhaske · Accepted solution]

@Boyan1 Please refer to the documentation below to create a new dashboard account (essentially the same as creating a new organization).

> https://documentation.meraki.com/General_Administration/Organizations_and_Networks/Creating_a_Dashbo...

Make sure to use the same email account from the old organization while creating the new organization. This will create a dropdown automatically to choose the organization when you log in.

[KarstenI]

But be aware that with the "two Organization" solution you can not use features like the Sentry-Integration or things like Trusted Access with your Meraki-APs. That is quite a drawback.

[Boyan1]

@KarstenI Hi and appologies for the long delay, what about 2 organizations which are NOT linked, basically the same company but 2 completely different accounts with different login IDs. Then I would be able to use Sentry-Integration or things like Trusted Access with my Meraki-AP, yes?

Thanks

[KarstenI]

No, the AP and the Sentry client need to be in the same org. With that it would work for the clients still on the legacy SM but not for new new "regular" clients.

[Boyan1]

@KarstenI Cool, understood, so the end game is free SM end points (all except Windows OS) so that Trusted Access works "for free so to speak" and the APs are in the same DO so the 2 things "hook up" together - got it! Genius! 

[PhilipDAth]

As soon as you buy 1 paid Systems Manager licence it replaces any of the free licences you might already have.  You can't then get the free licences back.