Symptom

Smart Licensing agent used in Smart Licensing solution is leveraging HTTP Client to initiate HTTP transactions From serviceability perspective, engineers use HTTP Client debugs [debug ip http client all] and get confused because "httpc_setup_request:Source interface" line prints IP address that is not configured anywhere on the device. This leads to false assumption that HTTP Requests are sourced from incorrect IP address and thus communication is failing, which is not true. example ... *May 10 07:05:18.007: httpc_setup_request:Source interface = 115.172.114.53 ... GOUDA#show ip interface brief | exclude unassigned Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.136.160 YES NVRAM up up GigabitEthernet1/0/1 192.168.132.160 YES NVRAM up up GOUDA#

Conditions

any IOS-XE device [not limited to Catalyst 9k switches] running IOS image that requires Smart Licensing [16.9.x and later] in HTTP Client debugs [debug ip http client all] we will see message such as ... *May 10 07:05:18.007: httpc_setup_request:Source interface = 115.172.114.53 ... However such IP address does not exist anywhere on the device GOUDA#show ip interface brief | exclude unassigned Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.136.160 YES NVRAM up up GigabitEthernet1/0/1 192.168.132.160 YES NVRAM up up GOUDA#

Workaround

ignore this line when debugging in order not to be mislead in investigation there is no impact due to this and this is just bogus debug HTTP messages are sourced with valid IPv4 address

Further Problem Description