Reviewed by GoLicense Technical Team ·
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Cisco SD-WAN Manager, formerly vManage and now branded Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, provides centralized configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting for a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric. It helps administrators deploy consistent policies, inspect device and tunnel health, and manage supported WAN edge platforms from one interface.
Licensing should be planned around the edge devices, required features, and hosting arrangement. Identify the applicable Cisco subscription and management rights before ordering. For the wider architecture, see our Cisco SD-WAN solution overview.
- Management role: Configuration, operational visibility, troubleshooting, and license administration.
- Deployment: On-premises or an applicable hosted/cloud offering.
- Licensing inputs: Edge platform, quantity, subscription family, tier, and term.
- Sizing: Bandwidth tiers or platform classes, depending on the offer.
- Preparation: Smart Account, Virtual Account, compatible releases, and control-component requirements.
Check Cisco SD-WAN Manager part numbers and request a quote matched to your WAN edge platforms and deployment requirements.
Which Licensing Option Fits Your Deployment?
| Your Requirement | Option to Evaluate | What to Confirm Before Ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Manage supported existing edge platforms | Cisco DNA Essentials or Advantage for SD-WAN and Routing | Platform eligibility, bandwidth tier, features, term, and management arrangement |
| Deploy eligible Cisco 8000 Series Secure Routers | Cisco WAN Essentials or Advantage under Cisco Networking Subscription | Platform class, feature tier, orderable term, and hosting services |
| Operate management on premises | Applicable on-premises management entitlement | Software compatibility, VM resources, redundancy, and support responsibilities |
| Use hosted management | Applicable hosted/cloud deployment offer | Hosting scope, service charges, availability design, and operational ownership |
These are different purchasing paths. Confirm the offer for the actual hardware and operating mode; management access alone does not establish SD-WAN feature rights.
How Licensing and Capacity Are Defined
For applicable Cisco DNA offers, select the feature tier and bandwidth entitlement for each edge device. Eligible next-generation Cisco 8000 Series Secure Router WAN offers use platform classes rather than bandwidth tiers. Keep those models distinct when preparing an expansion.
Manager VM resources and cluster design are separate sizing decisions. Confirm device scale, telemetry, retention, and resilience requirements against the deployment guide for your release.
Part Numbers and Ordering Guide
Use our Cisco SD-WAN Manager part-number list as a purchasing reference, then validate the proposed items against Cisco’s current ordering rules.
| License Reference | Part Number | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco DNA Advantage, cloud-management selection, Tier 1 | DNA-C-T1-A-3Y | 3 years |
| Cisco DNA Advantage, on-premises selection, Tier 1 | DNA-P-T1-A-3Y | 3 years |
These documented DNA examples are not universal Manager licenses or substitutes for newer WAN subscriptions. Confirm platform, bandwidth definition, prerequisites, availability, and the complete bill of materials.
Example: Adding Ten Dual-Router Branches
Ten branches with two managed WAN edge routers each introduce 20 edge devices. Review entitlements for all 20, including each router’s platform and intended functions. Existing licenses and agreement rules may affect the additional order. The number of Manager instances is a separate architecture decision.
Prepare These Details Before Ordering
Provide router models, quantities, releases, bandwidth requirements, current rights, Smart Account and Virtual Account details, deployment model, and required features. Identify new subscriptions, renewals, or migrations separately.
Cisco SD-WAN Manager Pricing & Quote
Pricing review: November 2026. There is no single Manager price that represents every deployment. Request an itemized quote covering edge subscriptions, management rights, hosting where applicable, support, and implementation.
Cost varies with platform, feature tier, quantity, bandwidth tier or platform class, term, and existing agreements. Confirm the actual orderable term: Cisco’s published documents describe different term conditions across offers. For Cisco Networking Subscription, hosted and managed services can be additional items.
Send current expiry dates and planned growth so the proposal can address renewals and additions. Our How to Buy guide explains the quotation process.
Buying, Delivery and Activation
1. Confirm the Configuration and Order Scope
Approve platforms, operating mode, feature rights, quantities, term, management arrangement, and support. Validate Manager, Controller, Validator, and edge-release compatibility.
2. Confirm Account Ownership
Identify the correct Cisco Smart Account and Virtual Account, authorized administrators, and existing fabric. Agree entitlement delivery, expected timing, and customer responsibilities before ordering.
3. Receive and Verify Entitlements
Compare delivered subscription details with the approved order. Check the destination account, feature tier, capacity, and validity before assignment.
4. Assign Licenses and Validate Operation
Use the supported License Management workflow to synchronize entitlements, assign them to eligible devices, and report usage. For newer Secure Routers, license assignment is required before configuration deployment.
Separately complete certificates, device authorization, control connectivity, and configuration. Verify license status, control connections, tunnels, policies, and application reachability before acceptance.
Restricted Networks and Deployment Preparation
Cisco documents direct online synchronization, manual offline exchange, and supported SSM On-Prem integration for Smart Licensing Using Policy. Manual mode requires periodic file exchange with Cisco SSM; it does not remove reporting obligations.
Confirm the method for your releases and entitlement types. Offline license reporting does not make hosted control services or cloud analytics available without connectivity.
Before You Order: Prerequisites and Common Mistakes
Pre-Order Checklist
- Identify every edge model, quantity, release, and operating mode.
- Confirm the applicable subscription family, feature tier, capacity, and term.
- Verify Smart Account, Virtual Account, and administrator access.
- Validate control-component compatibility, certificates, and device authorization.
- Confirm hosting, VM resources, redundancy, and reporting connectivity.
- Prepare backups, rollout windows, and operational acceptance checks.
Common Buying and Activation Issues
Ordering by site count alone: A branch may contain multiple licensed edge devices. Inventory routers and their required entitlements before calculating quantities.
Mixing subscription models: DNA bandwidth tiers and newer WAN platform classes are different. Match the offer to the hardware and deployment.
Using the wrong account: Confirm the entitlement destination and administrator permissions before synchronization and assignment.
Confusing licensing with onboarding: An assigned subscription does not replace valid certificates, device authorization, or control connectivity. Validate each dependency.
Assuming offline means no reporting: Agree the supported synchronization process and reporting responsibilities before deployment.
Ready to order? Send your requirements and get a Cisco SD-WAN Manager quote.