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Cisco ASA 5500 Series Configuration Guide using the CLI
Chapter81 Managing Software and Configurations
Downgrading Your Software
Information About Activation Key Compatibility
Your activation key remains compatible if you upgrade to the latest version from any previous version.
However, you might have issues if you want to maintain downgrade capability:
•Downgrading to Version 8.1 or earlier versions—After you upgrade, if you activate additional
feature licenses that were introduced before 8.2, the activation key continues to be compatible with
earlier versions if you downgrade. However if you activate feature licenses that were introduced in
Version 8.2 or later versions, the activation key is not backward compatible. If you have an
incompatible license key, see the following guidelines:
–
If you previously entered an activation key in an earlier version, the ASA uses that key (without
any of the new licenses you activated in Version 8.2 or later versions).
–
If you have a new system and do not have an earlier activation key, you need to request a new
activation key compatible with the earlier version.
•Downgrading to Version 8.2 or earlier versions—Version 8.3 introduced more robust time-based key
usage as well as failover license changes:
–
If you have more than one time-based activation key active, when you downgrade, only the most
recently activated time-based key can be active. Any other keys are made inactive.
–
If you have mismatched licenses on a failover pair, downgrading will disable failover. Even if
the keys are matching, the license used will no longer be a combined license.
Performing the Downgrade
To downgrade from Version 8.3, perform the following steps:
Detailed Steps
Step1 Enter the following command:
hostname(config)# downgrade [/noconfirm] old_image_url old_config_url [activation-key
old_key]
Where the /noconfirm option downgrades without prompting. The image_url is the path to the old image
on disk0, disk1, tftp, ftp, or smb. The old_config_url is the path to the saved, premigration configuration
(by default, t;his configuration was saved on disk0). If you need to revert to a pre-8.3 activation key, you
can enter the old activation key.
This command is a shortcut for completing the following functions:
1. Clearing the boot image configuration (clear configure boot).
2. Setting the boot image to be the old image (boot system).
3. (Optional) Entering a new activation key (activation-key).
4. Saving the running configuration to startup (write memory). This action sets the BOOT
environment variable to the old image, so when you reload, the old image is loaded.
5. Copying the old configuration to the startup configuration (copy old_config_url startup-config).
6. Reloading (reload).
For example:
hostname(config)# downgrade /noconfirm disk0:/asa821-k8.bin disk0:/8_2_1_0_startup_cfg.sav