# Activate and deactivate blades

Platform blades can be [active or inactive](cdf-active-and-inactive-blades.md). Here’s how to change the active/inactive state of a blade, and a note about managing the states of mutually exclusive blades.

<dl><dt><strong>💡 TIP</strong></dt><dd>

In the following steps you’ll be using the `dfw` command of the Deployment Framework. Before entering any `dfw` command as `./dfw <command-name>`, make sure your current (working) directory is set to the Deployment Framework’s topmost directory.

For a list of `dfw` commands, [click here](cdf-the-deployment-framework-command-utility-dfw.md).
</dd></dl>

## Activating a blade

* To make inactive blades active on the server machines where they are deployed, on each server enter the command

  ```
  ./dfw activate <blade-name-1> <blade-name-2> <blade-name-3> ...
  ```

  For example, to activate the Deployment Framework’s built-in Config blades HTTPS and LiberatorWebsite, enter `./dfw activate HTTPS LiberatorWebsite`

**📌 NOTE**\
Any resulting configuration changes don’t take effect until you [restart](cdf-start-and-stop-components-and-blades.md) the Deployment Framework on each of the server-machines where the blades are deployed.

## Deactivating a blade

* To make active blades inactive on the server machines where they are deployed, on each server enter the command

  ```
  ./dfw deactivate <blade-name-1> <blade-name-2> <blade-name-3> ...
  ```

  For example, to deactivate the Deployment Framework’s built-in Config blades HTTPS and MinimalLiberatorWebsite, enter `./dfw deactivate HTTPS MinimalLiberatorWebsite`

**📌 NOTE**\
Any resulting configuration changes don’t take effect until you [restart](cdf-start-and-stop-components-and-blades.md) the Deployment Framework on each of the server-machines where the blades are deployed.

## Managing mutually exclusive blades

Some blades are mutually exclusive because they provide different versions of the same feature, so you should only make one of them active at a time.

For example, these pairs of Config blades that are built into the Deployment Framework are mutually exclusive:

* OpenPermissioning and Permissioning
* LiberatorWebsite and MinimalLiberatorWebsite

**📌 NOTE**\
If you do activate two mutually exclusive built-in blades, the `activate` command reports the clash, and you won’t be able to start the Framework.

**💡 TIP**\
You can can manage the compatibility of Platform blades that you write by adding entries to the [blade control file](cdf-the-blade-control-file.md).

---

**See also**:

* [Start and stop components and blades](cdf-start-and-stop-components-and-blades.md)