As a Managed Service Supplier (MSP), you might be chargeable for serving to to make sure that buyer environments operate easily, with each seen and behind-the-scenes components working seamlessly. Whereas community outages and web site downtime could also be attention-grabbing points, managing the licensing necessities for Meraki networks are equally necessary.
Let’s discover the importance of licensing and the way MSPs can leverage the Meraki Dashboard API to effectively handle licenses at scale.
Licensing challenges confronted by MSPs
For MSPs who handle many networks, relying solely on electronic mail notifications from the Meraki Dashboard might be burdensome. With the Meraki Dashboard API, MSPs can automate monitoring license expiration dates, observe license utilization, and carry out different important duties. These duties embody renewing licenses, allocating licenses to gadgets, and assembly community compliance necessities. The API empowers MSPs to drive scale and effectivity in license administration, liberating up precious time and sources.
Advantages of API-driven license administration:
- Streamlined operations: The API permits centralized license administration, eliminating the necessity for handbook monitoring and lowering the danger of oversight or human error.
- Proactive monitoring: MSPs can obtain real-time notifications about licenses nearing expiration or every other license-related points, enabling swift motion and stopping disruptions.
- Scalability and effectivity: The Meraki Dashboard API helps the administration of a number of networks, enabling MSPs to deal with licensing necessities at scale with out compromising effectivity.
- Enhanced buyer satisfaction: With automated license administration, MSPs can assist uninterrupted community performance, enhancing the client expertise and stopping enterprise interruptions.
Understanding Meraki licensing fashions
Meraki affords two licensing fashions: Per-System and Co-Time period. With the Per-System mannequin, every machine within the community is licensed individually. If a license expires, solely the related machine is affected. Conversely, Co-Time period licensing teams all licenses collectively, figuring out the expiration date primarily based on the time-frame coated by all licenses. This technique simplifies license administration by aligning expiration dates.
Co-Time period licensing could be very widespread with MSPs. As a result of a complete group might be shut down whether it is out of compliance, it’s crucial to maintain licensing present. The next content material covers tips on how to use the Meraki Dashboard API to handle this licensing mannequin.
Organizational licensing overview
To handle Co-Time period licensing, entry the getOrganizationLicensesOverview API. Doing so returns the three following objects:
1) standing:string—Present group licensing standing.
Standing is likely one of the following:
-
- OK: There are at the very least as many license sorts as gadgets within the group, and the license shouldn’t be inside 30 days of or previous the expiration date.
- License required: There are extra gadgets within the group than licenses.
- License expired: Licenses have expired.
- Trial expiration: The trial license has expired.
- License expires quickly: Co-Time period license expires within the subsequent 30 days.
2) expirationDate:string—The date on which the mixed group licensing expires. (Be aware: This doesn’t embody any grace intervals which can be at present in impact for different licensing points.)
3) licensedDeviceCounts:array—Checklist of utilized license sorts and counts.
Examples
Within the first instance supplied beneath, the group is under-licensed; there are extra gadgets than lively licenses. To appropriate this example, you should question getOrganizationDevices and examine the output to the licensedDeviceCounts array to see which gadgets are below licensed. Then, you possibly can both take away the additional gadgets or buy extra licenses. You have to accumulate this knowledge each day and log the date you first see the “License Required” standing to find out when the 30-day grace interval ends, and your gadgets will now not operate.
{
“standing”: “License Required”,
“expirationDate”: “Mar 16, 2023 UTC”,
“licensedDeviceCounts”: {
“MS120-24P”: 6,
“MX65”: 8,
“wi-fi”: 12,
“MS120-48FP”: 1,
“MS220-24P”: 1,
“MS210-24P”: 1
}
}
Within the second instance, the license has expired, and you should buy new licenses for all gadgets. After buy, you apply them utilizing the claimIntoOrganization API.
{
“standing”: “License Expired”,
“expirationDate”: “Oct 15, 2022 UTC”,
“licensedDeviceCounts”: {
“wi-fi”: 36,
“MS120-48LP”: 9,
“MX100”: 1,
“MS225-48FP”: 5
}
}
Within the third and final instance, your group’s licenses will expire inside 30 days. If you don’t apply new licenses by Nov 14, all of the gadgets within the group will now not function.
{
“standing”: “License Expires Quickly”,
“expirationDate”: “Oct 15, 2023 UTC”,
“licensedDeviceCounts”: {
“wi-fi”: 36,
“MS120-48LP”: 9,
“MX100”: 1,
“MS225-48FP”: 5
}
}
Effectively managing Meraki community licenses is a necessary job for MSPs. Whereas crucial points equivalent to community downtime might create concern, neglecting license standing can have extreme penalties. By leveraging Meraki Dashboard APIs, MSPs can automate license administration, monitor expiration dates, and carry out crucial duties effectively. This proactive method helps guarantee community compliance, enhances buyer satisfaction, and streamlines operations for MSPs managing networks at scale.
Cisco Accomplice Managed Providers choices and advantages
If you’re a Cisco accomplice and wish to study extra about Meraki APIs, please register for the upcoming session of Managed Providers Voice of the Engineer. Through the October 2023, session, the Americas Accomplice Group (APO) will supply an outline of the Meraki Dashboard API, overview tips on how to use it as a part of a partner-enabled managed providers providing, and discover the advantages for Cisco companions and your clients. Every month, our staff focuses on a distinct MSP-relevant matter. If you’re occupied with changing into a Cisco Accomplice, you possibly can study extra by visiting Cisco’s Accomplice Program and Cisco Accomplice-Enabled Managed Providers.
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