Understanding Cisco's Product Lifecycle Milestones

Minimize downtime and maximize cost savings

Cisco's product lifecycle includes five milestones. These milestones are End Of Life (EoL), End of Sale (EoS), End of New Service Attachment(EoNSA), End of Service Contract Renewal (EoSCR), and Last Date of Support. __S.Four__ There's no need for panic: Cisco announces EoL dates one year before EoS dates and offers you an additional five years before LDS.Even with advance notice, planning remains the most critical factor in managing your product's lifecycle.

Step 1

Each milestone is essential and should be understood.EOL Announcement Day: Cisco will announce the EoS/EoL dates for a product to the public on this date.EoS date: This is the last time that you can order the product via Cisco.ESA Date: This is the last day to place an order for a new service and support contract.EoSCRThis is the last day to renew or extend a service contract on the product.LDoSAll support services for the product will cease after this date.

Step 2

To begin the planning process, use the EOL date. The EoS date is the first thing to keep in mind when reviewing the EoL announcement for the product. This date will be the last day you can purchase hardware from Cisco. You will have to decide whether to upgrade or buy from a third party. It is also essential to determine if the upgrade path suggested by Cisco will work with your existing products. Upgrades to Cisco's new products, for example, are compatible with existing Cisco products.C9800 Series Wireless Controller Mandatory AIRE-DNA subscription licenses will be required. Customers who were used to perpetual licensing models will be forced to switch to the subscription model.

Step 3

Know when the end date is for you to purchase or renew your support. Next are the "End of-New-Service contract attachments" and "End of-Service Contract Renewal." You will not be able to buy a new support agreement for Cisco products after the EoNS/EoSCR dates. You will usually have one year to renew a support contract for hardware that is currently on support.You should identify the devices that are part of your network infrastructure. If necessary, you can also determine if a Cisco Service Contract is required for those devices. Know which devices in your network need a service contract to update their software and which devices only require hardware replacement.Cisco products such as the Cisco Firepower 1000 series require regular signature updates to keep them current with the latest attack patterns. The way to get these updates is to attach your product to a Cisco Smartnet contract.Third-party maintenance is generally possible for routers and switches with EoL IP services and non-software-intensive products (e.g., optics, memory, and chassis), as well as older products that have not received any software updates. OEM support is rarely required for routers such as the Catalyst 3850 and 3650 and ISR 4K.

Step 4

After completing an inventory of products in your network at risk of losing support, it is time to look over your options.Do you want to renew or add support for your Cisco hardware?Are you willing to place the devices under third-party maintenance for Network hardware?Do you plan to upgrade to the following product recommendation?Take the time to determine what equipment you should upgrade and whether OEM support is best or a third-party provider. Planning can help you save money, reduce downtime and prevent panic attacks.