SM Licenses for partial dashboard devices?

[mnw]

We have a Meraki network with 1,500+ devices included in the dashboard. I want to use the licensed system manager.  Do I have to purchase a license for every device in my dashboard or can I selectively license only the iPad devices?

[PhilipDAth]

You can selectively licence whatever you want.  You basically need a licence for every device that you will install the agent on.

[mnw]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[BHC_RESORTS]

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@mnw wrote:

We have a Meraki network with 1,500+ devices included in the dashboard. I want to use the licensed system manager.  Do I have to purchase a license for every device in my dashboard or can I selectively license only the iPad devices?

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You need a license for every active device. With APs/hardware, it is pretty easy to move one out of a network to free up a license. With SME, that would be a pain. 

On a side note, with that amount of licenses, you should have a VAR that will get you very aggressive pricing. I'm just spittballing, but I wouldn't pay more than $30 a license for a 1 year term on that quantity. You could probably get it down a little more at end of quarter. Do you have a VAR you are working with? If not, let me know and I can PM you who we use.

[mnw]

So your response is different from the other person responding.  I find it hard to believe that one would have to pay $30 for every chromebook, windows computers, iPads, and other devices we have in the dashboard.  Of course, that is an annual license also and not a one-time charge.   This is funny, because I have talked to two Meraki resellers and their answer was different also.

[PhilipDAth · Accepted solution]

Let me be more specific.

If you go Network-Wide/Clients you can see all the end points that the Meraki platform can see (for that network at least).  Lets pretend there is 1,000 endpoints.  Lets now pretend you want to manage 100 of these in Systems Managers.  You buy 100 licences, and install the Systems Manager agent (often by enrolling the devices) on those endpoints.

You now see these managed endpoints in Systems Manager/Clients.  Systems manager will strictly only see those devices that have an agent on them.  It will not see the other 900 end points.

[mnw]

Thanks Phillip!

[PhilipDAth]

ps. We actually use Systems Manager ...

[BHC_RESORTS]

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@mnw wrote:

So your response is different from the other person responding.  I find it hard to believe that one would have to pay $30 for every chromebook, windows computers, iPads, and other devices we have in the dashboard.  Of course, that is an annual license also and not a one-time charge.   This is funny, because I have talked to two Meraki resellers and their answer was different also.

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Ah, I misread your original post. Clients connected to your network, no, you do not need a license. Clients enrolled with SME, yes, you need a license.