Fabric OS Administrator’s Guide 309
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Zone management in interoperable fabrics 14

Effective zone configuration

An effective zone configuration is a subset of the defined zone configuration, containing only the
zone configuration objects that are currently enabled; only one configuration can be effective at a
time, but multiple configurations can be defined in the database. The effective zone set or zone
configuration must correctly propagate to the other switches in the fabric.
When uploading and downloading configuration files, you must be sure that the file being moved
contains the correct information. After a configuration is committed, any inaccurate parameters
must be manually corrected.
In McDATA Fabric mode, you can set the effective zone configuration to the Defined Database. If
the Defined Database contains a configuration with the same name, it is replaced. Any
non-duplicate zone sets or zones remain unchanged. Before moving the effective zone
configuration to the Defined Database, you should view the zoning configuration.
In Fabric OS v6.4.0, the cfgDownload and cfgUpload commands support the zone database if the
fabric mode does not change. The effective configuration must be copied to the Defined Database.
When the Defined Database is updated, the changes are pushed to all switches in the fabric as a
cfgSave operation. Uploading and downloading a configuration file from Fabric OS v6.2.0 to Fabric
OS v6.4.0 is allowed, however downloading a configuration file from Fabric OS v6.4.0 to Fabric OS
v6.2.0 is not allowed.
The configuration file download triggers the fabric mode change, which supports the initial
configuration of new switches. This prevents fabric mode changes from being rejected.

Saving the effective zone configuration to the Defined Database

The Defined Database is not synchronized between Fabric OS switches in McDATA Fabric mode.
When you create a zone configuration on one switch, the new configuration is not synchronized to
the Defined Database. You must save the configuration to synchronize it to the Defined Database.
1. Connect to the switch and log in using an account assigned to the admin role.
2. Enter the cfgSaveActiveToDefined command.
switch:admin> cfgsaveactivetodefined
You are about to save the Defined zoning configuration. This
action will save the effective configuration to the defined
configuration.
Do you want the Effective zoning to become the Defined
zoning? (yes, y, no, n): [no] yes
Attempting to save new config to the defined config...
2sw0 Updating flash ...
...
[output truncated]
...
Attempting to save config to the defined config...
2sw0 Updating flash ...
Updating flash ...