C9300 Licensing Confusion

Hi guys,

So I just noticed that some of our switches display this output for "show license all"

License Authorization:
Status: EVAL MODE

License Usage

(C9300-48 Network Essentials)
Description:
Count: 1
Version: 1.0
Status: EVAL MODE
Export status: NOT RESTRICTED

(C9300-48 DNA Essentials):
Description:
Count: 1
Version: 1.0
Status: EVAL MODE
Export status: NOT RESTRICTED

​

We always buy DNA essentials for our switches but we don't really activate it from smart account because we don't use those features yet. I also see the network essentials licenses on my smart account but we didn't activate them either. What is weird that those switches that I upgraded to IOS 17.3.3 display a different output.

​

License Usage

network-essentials (C9300-48 Network Essentials):
Description: C9300-48 Network Essentials
Count: 1
Version: 1.0
Status: IN USE
Export status: NOT RESTRICTED
Feature Name: network-essentials
Feature Description: C9300-48 Network Essentials
Enforcement type: NOT ENFORCED
License type: Perpetual

dna-essentials (C9300-48 DNA Essentials):
Description: C9300-48 DNA Essentials
Count: 1
Version: 1.0
Status: IN USE
Export status: NOT RESTRICTED
Feature Name: dna-essentials
Feature Description: C9300-48 DNA Essentials
Enforcement type: NOT ENFORCED
License type: Subscription

There is no longer any word about the Eval and no counter running there. So is it really needed to activate those licenses? Does anybody know what happened there between the 16.12 releases and 17.3 with regards to the licensing?