The feature set enabled by the new permanent activation key completely replaces the previously enabled permanent feature set, instead of merging with it. Because a Cisco ASA device can have only one permanent activation key installed at any given time, every new key must encompass the entire set of desired features. You can enable additional features without a time limit by applying a different permanent activation key. Although the system does not require this key for basic operation, some advanced features, such as failover, depend on the permanent activation key in order to operate correctly. This is the permanent activation key, which never expires. Even though these core features do not require an explicit activation key, one usually comes installed anyway. Permanent and Time-Based Activation KeysĮvery Cisco ASA model comes with a certain set of basic features and capacities enabled by default the Base License permanently activates these features on the particular platform.

All features encoded in a particular key always have the same licensed duration, so activation keys can be classified as permanent or time-based. You can request and apply another key with a different set of features to the same Cisco ASA device at any future point in time. After Cisco generates a key for a given device, you cannot separate individual features from this licensed package. The complete set of activation keys resides in a hidden partition of the built-in flash device of a Cisco ASA other nonvolatile internal memory structures maintain a backup copy of that information. Each activation key is only valid for the particular hardware platform with the specific encoded serial number. A series of five hexadecimal numbers, as shown at the top of the output in Example 3-1, typically represents that string.

An activation key is an encoded bit string that defines the list of features to enable, how long the key would stay valid upon activation, and the specific serial number of a Cisco ASA device.

Cisco asa activation key generator