highlights and lowlights of the daily business of network engineers

Purpose

This note summarizes iMaster NCE-Campus licensing for the three relevant operating models:

• On-premises
• MSP-owned Cloud
• Huawei Public Cloud

The focus is on the licensing model, license components, responsibilities, and the practical differences in operation.

Basic Idea

According to Huawei, a license consists of two layers:

• License Entitlement Certificate
• License File

Important points:

• The license file controls capacity, functions, and validity period.
• Depending on the mode, either a .dat/.xml license file or an Activation Password / Entitlement ID is imported.
• In global licensing models, the license is typically bound to the ESN of the controller.
• In tenant subscription models, no ESN binding is required.

Terms

• TBL = Term-Based License, meaning a time-limited license.
• In Huawei documentation, the official terms are usually:
  • Tenant Subscription
  • Global Subscription
  • Global Perpetual
  • Points-based Mode
• Terms such as traditional TBL for Huawei NaaS or points mode for MSP NaaS are more training/sales expressions and should be mapped to these official license terms.

Overview of Business Models

For campus scenarios, Huawei mainly distinguishes these deployment/licensing worlds:

Huawei Public Cloud

• Platform owner: Huawei
• Operational responsibility: Huawei
• Business model: SaaS
• Typical licensing model: Tenant Subscription

MSP-owned Cloud

• Platform owner: MSP
• Operational responsibility: MSP
• Business model: service-provider based
• Typical licensing models:
  • Global Subscription (TBL)
  • Points-based Mode

On-premises

• Platform owner: Enterprise
• Operational responsibility: Enterprise
• Business model: local self-operation
• Typical licensing model: Global Perpetual + SnS

1) Huawei Public Cloud Licensing

Operating model

• Huawei operates the platform and provides it as SaaS.
• The customer uses the service but does not operate the platform itself.

Licensing model

• Main model: Tenant Subscription TBL
• According to the material, there are currently two variants:
  • license reallocation-incapable
  • license reallocation-capable

License components

• Device Management License
• Function License

Typical function licenses mentioned in the slides include:

• Terminal Plug-and-Play
• Intelligent O&M

Billing / consumption logic

• Resources are pooled.
• Measurement is based on device-day.
• Consumption is calculated daily around 02:00 based on the devices that are actually online.
• Unregistered devices are not counted.

Behavior when capacity is exceeded

• If a resource pool becomes negative, a Grace Period of 30 days starts.
• During this period, devices can still be added and brought online.
• After the grace period ends, configurations can no longer be properly delivered for the affected resources and new devices can no longer come online.

Reallocation-capable vs. reallocation-incapable

Without reallocation

• The license is used in a tenant-centric way.
• The tenant consumes its own resources.

With reallocation

• An MSP can buy licenses and distribute them to tenants.
• The MSP imports an Activation Password or Entitlement ID.
• The MSP can allocate resource packages to tenants.
• In addition, an MSP can define a Suspension Policy for specific tenant resources.

Other points

• New tenants receive a 180-day trial license according to Huawei.
• Device management licenses support co-termination.
• Import is done via Activation Password or Entitlement ID, not through classic global license files.

Important operating limitations in Huawei Public Cloud

• In Huawei Public Cloud, devices cannot be added via SNMP.
• An SNMP Template cannot be configured in Huawei Public Cloud.
• For external RADIUS integration, the source plane in Huawei Public Cloud cannot be set to the northbound plane.
• This means some enterprise/on-prem functions are not only licensed differently, but are functionally restricted.

Benefits of Traditional TBL for Huawei NaaS

When training material refers to traditional TBL for Huawei NaaS, it practically means the classic tenant-based subscription model in Huawei Public Cloud.

Key benefits:

• simple SaaS model with no platform installation by the customer
• clear and easy-to-understand tenant-based licensing
• resource usage is calculated continuously based on the devices that are actually online
• pay as you use behavior through device-day logic instead of purely static allocation
• resources can be tracked cleanly per tenant
• trial use is possible for new tenants
• co-termination simplifies aligning the end dates of multiple resources

In practice, traditional TBL is especially useful when Huawei operates the platform itself and licensing should be simple and directly aligned with tenant usage.

2) MSP-owned Cloud Licensing

Operating model

• The MSP operates the platform itself.
• The MSP provides the platform as a service to its customers or tenants.
• This is the typical three-level model:
  • System Administrator
  • MSP Administrator
  • Tenant Administrator

Licensing models

In the MSP-owned cloud model, Huawei mainly mentions two license types:

• Global Subscription (TBL)
• Points-based Mode

2.1 Global Subscription (TBL)

License components

• Platform License
• Device Management License
• Function License

Characteristics

• Global model: licenses can be shared across tenants.
• Control is handled at system level.
• Resources are also measured as device-day.
• Device management licenses support co-termination.

Without reallocation

• All tenants share the global license imported into the system.
• The system administrator imports the license file centrally.
• According to Huawei, there is no tenant trial license in this mode.

With reallocation

• The MSP or system administrator imports the global license file.
• After that, Resource Item Packages can be created and distributed to subordinate MSPs or tenants.
• Suspension policies are possible.
• According to Huawei, this mode also includes a free platform license for one year plus a free trial amount of 30,000 device-days, which is consumed first.

2.2 Points-based Mode

Basic principle

• In addition to the platform license, there is a Points-based License.
• Points are consumed per tenant based on capability packages and device types.

License components

• Platform License
• Points-based License

Package types

Huawei lists four package types:

• Foundation Package
• SD-WAN Foundation Package
• Advanced Package
• Add-on Package

Consumption logic

• Deduction is based on a Deduction Coefficient.
• The coefficient depends on the package type and device type.
• The Advanced Package is consumed only if the tenant activates it.
• If it is not activated, Foundation or SD-WAN Foundation is used automatically depending on the tunnel mode.
• Add-on points are deducted according to the number of devices with activated add-on services.

Important special point

• In the Analyzer convergence scenario, the Analyzer uses the same points resources.
• This means no separate Analyzer license has to be bought and imported.

Trial

• Huawei mentions a free platform license for 1 year in this mode.
• In addition, 30,000 point-days are available for trial operation.

Important note on expiration unification

• According to Hedex, Recalculate Expiration Time applies to Global Subscription and Tenant Subscription.
• It does not generally apply to Points-based Mode.
• Function licenses, trial licenses, and common-series/SNMP/third-party resources are also excluded.

Benefits of Points Mode for MSP NaaS

When training material refers to points mode for MSP NaaS, the focus is on flexibility and economic control in an MSP operating model.

Key benefits:

• decoupled from device models: licensing is not rigidly tied to a single device model, but represented through points and capability packages
• better reuse of license resources across different device and service combinations
• suitable for MSPs with many tenants and changing requirements
• automatic TCO calculation: points, package types, and usage logic make resource needs easier to estimate for renewal and offer planning
• Huawei explicitly provides a Calculator for Points Mode
• pooling management: resources can be managed centrally as a pool and then distributed to MSPs or tenants
• pay as you use: consumption follows actually activated capability packages and real usage
• add-on and advanced functions do not have to be licensed uniformly for all devices, but are consumed as needed
• especially useful in multi-tenant environments where service intensity differs by customer

In short: traditional TBL is simpler and more direct, whereas points mode for MSP NaaS is more flexible, easier to pool, and more granular from a commercial perspective.

Direct Comparison: Traditional TBL vs. Points Mode

Traditional TBL for Huawei NaaS

• easier to understand and operate
• tenant-oriented subscription logic
• good for a classic SaaS model with clear resource types
• less flexible with very heterogeneous service combinations

Points Mode for MSP NaaS

• more flexible across different services and tenant profiles
• decouples charging more strongly from fixed device views
• better for pooling, redistribution, and fine-grained cost control
• more strongly optimized for MSP operation, multi-tenancy, and TCO optimization

3) On-premises Licensing

Operating model

• The enterprise operates its own iMaster NCE-Campus platform itself.
• Full O&M responsibility remains with the enterprise.
• Certain integrations are only possible here, for example joining the controller to an AD Domain for MSCHAPv2-related scenarios.

Licensing model

• Global Perpetual + SnS
• Huawei distinguishes between:
  • non-N1 mode
  • N1 mode

3.1 Non-N1 Mode

License components

• Device Management License
• Function License
• SnS annual fee

Meaning of SnS

Here, SnS stands for maintenance and support within the validity period, especially:

• Warranty
• Remote Technical Support
• Software upgrades within the valid support period

Characteristics

• Global model: licenses are shared system-wide.
• Control is handled at system level.
• The enterprise imports license files centrally itself.
• Tenant administrators do not need to import their licenses separately.

Typical function licenses according to the material

• Virtual Network Automation
• Free Mobility
• Access Authentication
• Terminal Plug-and-Play
• Intelligent O&M

Trial

• Huawei mentions trial licenses with a duration of less than 3 months.

3.2 N1 Mode

Basic idea

• N1 is primarily a sales/packaging model on the Huawei SCT side.
• It was introduced so that controller software and device-embedded licenses do not have to be offered in an overly complex, separate way.
• The goal is a simpler commercial offer and better pricing advantages for the customer.

Important practical point

• The controller software itself does not have a separate technical N1 licensing mechanism.
• For license management and license control, the controller still works as in non-N1 mode.

In practice, this means N1 is more of a commercial packaging model than a technically different runtime licensing model inside the controller.

Import and Operation per License Mode

Global licensing models

Applies to:

• Global Perpetual
• Global Subscription
• Points-based

Typical procedure:

• The system administrator centrally imports a .dat or .xml license file.
• The license is linked to the ESN of the controller or cluster.
• Tenant administrators do not need to import anything themselves.

Tenant Subscription

Typical procedure:

• Import via Activation Code or Entitlement ID
• No classic global file import required
• No ESN binding required

Depending on the submode:

• with reallocation: MSP imports and distributes
• without reallocation: tenant imports the license resources itself

Important Differences Between the Three Models

Huawei Public Cloud

• SaaS operated by Huawei
• Focus on Tenant Subscription
• License import via activation code / entitlement ID
• more tenant-centric consumption
• functionally more restricted in some areas than On-premises/MSP-owned Cloud

MSP-owned Cloud

• SaaS/managed service operation by the MSP
• Focus on Global Subscription or Points-based
• central import by the system administrator/MSP
• distribution to MSPs and tenants is possible
• strong fit for pooling, redistribution, and fine-grained cost control

On-premises

• Self-operated by the enterprise
• Focus on Global Perpetual + SnS
• central import of classic license files
• permanent licensing model plus maintenance/support
• most flexible for certain integrations and enterprise-specific functions

Key Takeaways

• Public Cloud = usually subscription-oriented and service-based.
• MSP-owned Cloud = provider model with central distribution and optional reallocation.
• On-premises = classic permanent enterprise licensing with SnS.
• N1 is mainly a sales/packaging model; technically the controller is still managed like non-N1.
• Points-based is especially important for MSP scenarios when functions should be billed flexibly through package logic.

Additional Hedex Note

• The current Lite Hedex explicitly describes iMaster NCE-Campus Lite in several places as Global Perpetual (a-la-carte).
• Therefore, some subscription/points statements come more from the separate licensing materials than from the Lite Hedex itself.
• In practice, the licensing model should always be checked against the exact release, edition, and deployment model.

Sources

• 001_Docs/IMasterNCE/iMaster NCE-Campus V300R025C00 License Service Introduction.pptx
• 001_Docs/IMasterNCE/profile.xml
• 001_Docs/IMasterNCE/resources/