Licensing Overview

About Universal Switch Licensing

Universal switches support flexible licensing models that let you choose the approach that best fits your network needs and budget. Whether you want permanent feature access, cloud-managed subscriptions, or evaluation capabilities, Extreme Networks offers licensing options to match your deployment strategy.

License Levels and Feature Tiers

Switch Engine software supports multiple license levels for universal hardware switches:

Base License—Included with all universal switches. Provides foundational networking capabilities including L2 switching, L3 routing, VLANs, dynamic routing protocols, and core management features.
Premier License—Advanced features beyond Base, including enhanced BGP/OSPF support, multicast routing, precision time protocol (PTPv2), and application hosting on select models. Purchased as an upgrade.
MACsec License—IEEE 802.1AE link-level encryption for security-hardened network deployments. Purchased separately as a feature license.

The following diagram illustrates how Premier builds on the Base License:

License Types and Delivery Models

Universal switches support three types of licenses that deliver features in different ways:

Perpetual Licenses: Permanent feature access bound to your switch serial number. Once installed, perpetual licenses never expire and remain valid for the life of the switch. Purchased once, no renewal costs.
Subscription Licenses: Cloud-managed access to Premier features through Extreme Platform ONE or ExtremeCloud IQ. Subscriptions are time-limited and require active cloud connectivity for daily validation. Provides flexibility to add or remove licenses as your network needs change.
Trial Licenses: Time-limited evaluation licenses that let you try Premier features for up to 30 days (extendable three times up to 120 days total) without purchasing a permanent license. Useful for testing new capabilities before committing to a full license. Premier and MACsec licenses are available as Perpetual licenses.

Extreme Platform ONE Licensing

With Extreme Platform ONE (Extreme Platform ONE), operating system-level features are combined into a single management license. Extreme Platform ONE includes three license levels: Standard, Advanced, and Premium. A Standard license is required to manage devices from ExtremeCloud IQ.

The following diagram illustrates the Extreme Platform ONE license tiers:

Each license level is purchased based on four platform tiers, depending on device type:

Tier A — 4120, 4220, 5120, 5320
Tier B — 5420
Tier C — 5520
Tier D — 5720, 7520, 7720

Quick License Comparison

The following table provides a quick comparison of the licensing options available:

Table 1. License Type Comparison
License Type	Duration	How It Works	Best For	Cost Model
Perpetual	Never expires	Activation file installed on switch; bound to serial number	Long-term deployments; on-premises networks	One-time purchase
Subscription	Time-limited; 30-day grace period offline	Cloud-managed via Platform ONE or ExtremeCloud IQ; daily validation	Flexible licensing; pay-as-you-go; cloud-managed networks	Recurring subscription (monthly/annual)
Trial	30 days (extendable to 120 days total)	Built-in; activated with enable license trial	Evaluation and proof-of-concept testing	Free
MACsec	Never expires	Perpetual feature license; installed like other licenses	Link-level encryption for security-hardened deployments	One-time purchase (perpetual-only)

Choosing the Right License

The licensing model you choose depends on your deployment strategy, network architecture, and operational preferences:

Choose Perpetual Licenses if: You want permanent feature access without recurring costs, operate on-premises networks, or prefer not to depend on cloud connectivity for license validation.
Choose Subscription Licenses if: You prefer lower upfront costs, want flexibility to scale licenses up or down, use cloud management platforms, or want centralized license management.
Choose Trial Licenses if: You want to evaluate Premier features before purchasing, conduct proof-of-concept testing, or need short-term access to advanced capabilities.
Choose MACsec Licenses if: You require link-level encryption for regulatory compliance, security-hardened deployments, or sensitive data networks. Note: MACsec is perpetual-only; trial and subscription licenses do not support MACsec.

What's Next

This guide covers all licensing details for universal switches:

Licensing Types for Universal Switches—Detailed information on each license type, platform support, and feature availability
Installing and Uninstalling Licenses on Universal Switches—How to obtain, activate, and manage licenses
License Feature Reference—Complete feature matrix by license level