> # Changing from Enhanced Zoning to Basic Zoning

> The standards do not allow you to move back to basic zoning. However, Cisco MDS switches allow this move to enable you to downgrade and upgrade to other Cisco SAN-OS or Cisco NX-OS releases.

> ## Detailed Steps

> To change to the basic zoning mode from the enhanced mode, follow these steps:

> 1. Verify that the active and full zone set do not contain any configuration that is specific to the enhanced zoning mode.

> If such configurations exist, delete them before proceeding with this procedure. If you do not delete the existing configuration, the Cisco NX-OS software automatically removes them.

> 2. Set the operation mode to basic zoning mode.

> You will be able to automatically start a session, acquire a fabric wide lock, distribute the zoning information using the basic zoning data structure, apply the configuration changes, and release the lock from all switches in the fabric. All switches in the fabric then move to basic zoning mode.

> Note If a switch running Cisco SAN-OS Release 2.0(1b) and NX-OS 4(1b) or later, with enhanced zoning enabled is downgraded to Cisco SAN-OS Release 1.3(4), or earlier, the switch comes up in basic zoning mode and cannot join the fabric because all the other switches in the fabric are still in enhanced zoning mode.

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