Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco ASR 900 Series Aggregation Services Routers provides a modular structure, enhancing quality and performance through separation of data and control planes. The SLASR903-M license activates Metro Services on the Cisco ASR 903 Router, allowing customers to pay only for required features.
Modular Software Licensing
Cisco ASR 900 Series routers, including the ASR 903, support flexible software activation. Feature sets are activated via licenses on a per-chassis basis (except specific port licenses). The Metro Services license (SLASR903-M) offers advanced Quality of Service (QoS) with deep buffers and Hierarchical QoS (HQoS), Carrier Ethernet Layer 2 features, Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), and Ethernet Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities.
Key Capabilities of Metro Services License
This license serves as the foundation, with upgrade paths to Metro IP Services (adding IP routing, BFD, IEEE 1588-2008 clocks, Multi-VRF CE) and Metro Aggregation Services (adding MPLS-TP, pseudowires, VPLS, MPLS TE/FRR, MPLS VPN).
Software Support and Releases
The Cisco ASR 903 Router is supported from Cisco IOS XE Software Release 3.5.0S. Consolidated universal packages include RSP2 and RSP3 variants with or without payload encryption (RSP3 only). Flexible activation supports a pay-as-services-grow model.
Comprehensive Feature Support
In addition to core Metro Services, the platform supports extensive Ethernet services like Ethernet Flow Point (EFP) with 802.1q/ad, QinQ, VLAN classification, EPL/EVPL; IEEE 802.1s MST, PVST+/RPVST+; UDLD, LLDP, CDP, REP, ITU G.8032, LACP/mLACP, L2PT, VPLS/HVPLS/VPWS/EoMPLS, pseudowire redundancy, MC-LAG, Segment Routing.
TDM/SONET/SDH/OTN/ATM services include channelized T1/E1/T3/E3/OCn/STM ports, HO/LO switching, APS/SR-APS/MR-APS/ACR/MSP/UPSR/SNCP, SDCC/LDCC/SSM, G.709 OTN, SAToP/CEP pseudowires, ATM pseudowires, IMA, AAL0/5, CoS.
Layer 3/MPLS includes HSRP/VRRP, CEF ECMP, OSPF/BGP/IS-IS, BFD, MPLS LER/LSR/L3VPN/MPLS-TP/TE-FRR/RSVP-TE, EVPN VPWS, IP LFA/R-LFA FRR, multicast protocols (IGMP/PIM/MLD/MVPN), Segment Routing.
IPv6 support: hardware forwarding, dual stack, static/OSPF/DHCPv6, 6PE/6VPE, QoS.
Advanced QoS: MQC/HQoS, classification/marking, policing/shaping/CBWFQ/LLQ/WRED, RSVP CAC.
Timing: IEEE 1588-2008 variants (OC/TC/BC/PTP telecom profile), SyncE/ESMC, GNSS/BITS/SSM, ACR/DCR.
OAM: CFM/Link OAM, MPLS OAM/G-ACh/BFD/LSP Ping, Y.1731 FM/PM, E-LMI, TWAMP.
Security: AAA/TACACS+/RADIUS, SSHv2, ACLs/uRPF/DAI/DHCP Snooping, IPSEC/AES/IPSEC features.
Manageability: SNMP/MIBs/EEM/CDP/LLDP/SPAN/RSPAN/CLI/Cisco Prime Network.
Additional Licenses
Complement with IPSEC (security over IP networks), ATM (TDM ATM functionality), IEEE 1588-2008 BC/MC (advanced timing). Regular IOS XE packages support control plane encryption; payload encryption available for RSP3.
Release Schedule
Cisco IOS XE follows time-based releases every four months, with Standard/Extended support durations and scheduled rebuilds for bug fixes.