Cisco DNA Software for Catalyst 8000 Routing Ordering Guide

Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing is the subscription model that enables SD-WAN, SD-Routing, security, analytics and automation features on Cisco WAN routers.
For the Cisco Catalyst 8000 Series, DNA licensing directly determines your available capabilities, bandwidth tier, Smart Account compliance and long-term scalability.

This guide explains DNA licensing for Catalyst 8000 routers in a clear and concise way, focusing on:

  • DNA license structure
  • PID nomenclature
  • Four core ordering decisions
  • Bandwidth tier rules
  • Smart Account behavior
  • DNA portability
Cisco DNA Software for Catalyst 8000 Routing

What Is Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing?

Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing is a subscription-based software stack that includes:

  • SD-WAN controllers and management (vManage, analytics)
  • SD-Routing and automation for IOS XE routers
  • Continuous feature updates during the term (3/5/7 years)

Two feature tiers are available:

  • Cisco DNA Essentials – Core SD-WAN / SD-Routing and basic security
  • Cisco DNA Advantage – Advanced security, cloud security integrations, application-aware routing, deeper analytics

A DNA subscription for Catalyst 8000 always includes:

  • A feature tier (E / A)
  • A term (3Y / 5Y / 7Y)
  • A bandwidth tier (T0–T3, plus T4/T5 on specific platforms)

DNA PID Nomenclature (How to Read Cisco DNA PIDs)

Typical DNA PIDs look like:

  • DNA-P-T0-E-3Y
  • DNA-C-T1-A-5Y

The structure is:

DNA PID Nomenclature
  • DNA Subscription PID (e.g., DNA-P-T1-A-5Y)
  • Network Stack license (e.g., NWSTACK-T1-E, perpetual)
  • DNA Stack license (e.g., DSTACK-T1-E, term-based)

DNA Router License PID Examples (Keyword Reference)

Category

PIDs

Generic DNA PIDs

DNA-C-T0-E-3Y, DNA-C-T1-E-3Y, DNA-C-T2-E-3Y, DNA-C-T3-E-3Y
DNA-C-T0-A-3Y, DNA-C-T1-A-3Y, DNA-C-T2-A-3Y, DNA-C-T3-A-3Y
DNA-P-T0-E-5Y, DNA-P-T1-E-5Y, DNA-P-T2-E-5Y, DNA-P-T3-E-5Y
DNA-P-T1-A-7Y, DNA-P-T2-A-7Y, DNA-P-T3-A-7Y

Network Stack PIDs

NWSTACK-T0-E, NWSTACK-T1-E, NWSTACK-T2-E, NWSTACK-T3-E

DNA Stack PIDs

DSTACK-T0-E, DSTACK-T1-E, DSTACK-T2-E, DSTACK-T3-E

DNA Add-on PIDs

L-DNA-TIER-ADD, L-IR-DNA-TIER-ADD, L-DNA-C8200, L-DNA-C8300, L-DNA-C8500, L-DNA-C8000V

Dual-License Model: Network Stack vs DNA Stack

Every DNA subscription includes two licenses:

Cisco Network Stack vs DNA Stack
  1. Network Stack (Perpetual)
    • Enables IOS XE routing functions (FlexVPN, DMVPN, GETVPN, basic routing)
    • Does not expire
  2. DNA Stack (Subscription)
    • Used by SD-WAN controllers and DNA Center
    • Expires with the subscription term

When DNA expires:

  • Routing continues (Network Stack still valid)
  • SD-WAN and DNA controller features become unlicensed until renewal

Four Key Choices in DNA Licensing

1) Operation Mode

  • Autonomous (SD-Routing)
    • Traditional routing
    • No SD-WAN overlay
  • Controller Mode (SD-WAN)
    • Full SD-WAN fabric managed by vManage
    • Required for advanced policies and segmentation

2) DNA Feature Tier

  • DNA Essentials – Basic SD-WAN / SD-Routing
  • DNA Advantage – For advanced security, cloud security and analytics
    → Recommended for most Catalyst 8000 deployments

3) Subscription Term

  • 3-year – Budget-sensitive or short lifecycles
  • 5-year – Most common
  • 7-year – Large enterprise and public sector

4) Bandwidth Tier (T0–T3 / T4 / T5)

DNA bandwidth tier = the aggregate encrypted / SD-WAN bandwidth supported.

Approximate ranges:

  • T0 – small (tens of Mbps)
  • T1 – hundreds of Mbps
  • T2 – around 1 Gbps
  • T3 – multi-Gbps
  • T4/T5 – high-end platforms only (C8500 / 8000V)

How DNA Bandwidth Is Measured

What Counts Toward DNA Bandwidth

  • SD-WAN mode
    All SD-WAN fabric traffic (encrypted VPN tunnels)
  • Autonomous mode
    Mainly IPsec encrypted traffic

Plain routing traffic generally does not count.

Two-Step Sizing Method

  1. Estimate aggregate encrypted / SD-WAN throughput per router
  2. Choose the smallest tier that safely covers it

Example logic:

  • ~300 Mbps → T1
  • ~1.5 Gbps → T2

DNA tier configured on the router must not exceed the tier owned in the Smart Account.

Smart Account Behavior and DNA Expiry

Autonomous Mode

  • Network Stack remains active
  • Router continues forwarding normally
  • DNA features become unlicensed
  • Smart Account shows renewal warnings

SD-WAN Mode

  • SD-WAN requires an active DNA subscription
  • Expired DNA = non-compliant SD-WAN node
  • Controllers (vManage/vSmart) will warn and restrict entitlement

DNA License Portability (ISR/ASR → Catalyst 8000)

Cisco DNA Software supports license portability, enabling upgrades to Catalyst 8000 without losing DNA investment.

Typical paths:

  • ISR 1000 / ISR 4000 → C8200 / C8300
  • ASR 1000 → C8500 / C8500L
  • vEdge → Catalyst 8000 (moving to IOS XE SD-WAN)

Before migrating:

  1. Check DNA portability eligibility
  2. Ensure equal or higher bandwidth tier on the new platform
  3. Move licenses in the Smart Account before the hardware cutover

FAQs: Cisco DNA Software for SD-WAN and Routing

No. Routing continues via the perpetual Network Stack.
SD-WAN and DNA features simply become unlicensed.

DNA-C = Cloud-managed

DNA-P = On-prem managed
Same tiers and bandwidth; only management location differs.

Estimate encrypted/SD-WAN aggregate throughput → pick T0/T1/T2/T3 according to the requirement.

Yes, if supported by the Cisco DNA portability map.
Confirm tier and eligibility before migration.

Similar Posts