6 .TH ovs\-dpctl 8 "@VERSION@" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
10 ovs\-dpctl \- administer Open vSwitch datapaths
14 [\fIoptions\fR] \fIcommand \fR[\fIswitch\fR] [\fIargs\fR\&...]
18 The \fBovs\-dpctl\fR program can create, modify, and delete Open vSwitch
19 datapaths. A single machine may host any number of datapaths.
21 A newly created datapath is associated with only one network device, a
22 virtual network device sometimes called the datapath's ``local port''.
23 A newly created datapath is not, however, associated with any of the
24 host's other network devices. To intercept and process traffic on a
25 given network device, use the \fBadd\-if\fR command to explicitly add
26 that network device to the datapath.
28 If \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8) is in use, use \fBovs\-vsctl\fR(8) instead
31 Most \fBovs\-dpctl\fR commands that work with datapaths take an
32 argument that specifies the name of the datapath. Datapath names take
33 the form [\fItype\fB@\fR]\fIname\fR, where \fIname\fR is the network
34 device associated with the datapath's local port. If \fItype\fR is
35 given, it specifies the datapath provider of \fIname\fR, otherwise the
36 default provider \fBsystem\fR is assumed.
38 The following commands manage datapaths.
41 \fBadd\-dp \fIdp\fR [\fInetdev\fR[\fB,\fIoption\fR]...]
42 Creates datapath \fIdp\fR, with a local port also named \fIdp\fR.
43 This will fail if a network device \fIdp\fR already exists.
45 If \fInetdev\fRs are specified, \fBovs\-dpctl\fR adds them to the
46 new datapath, just as if \fBadd\-if\fR was specified.
50 Deletes datapath \fIdp\fR. If \fIdp\fR is associated with any network
51 devices, they are automatically removed.
54 \fBadd\-if \fIdp netdev\fR[\fB,\fIoption\fR]...
55 Adds each \fInetdev\fR to the set of network devices datapath
56 \fIdp\fR monitors, where \fIdp\fR is the name of an existing
57 datapath, and \fInetdev\fR is the name of one of the host's
58 network devices, e.g. \fBeth0\fR. Once a network device has been added
59 to a datapath, the datapath has complete ownership of the network device's
60 traffic and the network device appears silent to the rest of the
63 A \fInetdev\fR may be followed by a comma-separated list of options.
64 The following options are currently supported:
67 .IP "\fBtype=\fItype\fR"
68 Specifies the type of port to add. The default type is \fBsystem\fR.
69 .IP "\fBport_no=\fIport\fR"
70 Requests a specific port number within the datapath. If this option is
71 not specified then one will be automatically assigned.
72 .IP "\fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR"
73 Adds an arbitrary key-value option to the port's configuration.
76 \fBovs\-vswitchd.conf.db\fR(5) documents the available port types and
79 .IP "\fBset\-if \fIdp port\fR[\fB,\fIoption\fR]..."
80 Reconfigures each \fIport\fR in \fIdp\fR as specified. An
81 \fIoption\fR of the form \fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR adds the specified
82 key-value option to the port or overrides an existing key's value. An
83 \fIoption\fR of the form \fIkey\fB=\fR, that is, without a value,
84 deletes the key-value named \fIkey\fR. The type and port number of a
85 port cannot be changed, so \fBtype\fR and \fBport_no\fR are only allowed if
86 they match the existing configuration.
88 \fBdel\-if \fIdp netdev\fR...
89 Removes each \fInetdev\fR from the list of network devices datapath
94 Prints the name of each configured datapath on a separate line.
97 [\fB\-s\fR | \fB\-\-statistics\fR] \fBshow \fR[\fIdp\fR...]
98 Prints a summary of configured datapaths, including their datapath
99 numbers and a list of ports connected to each datapath. (The local
100 port is identified as port 0.) If \fB\-s\fR or \fB\-\-statistics\fR
101 is specified, then packet and byte counters are also printed for each
104 If one or more datapaths are specified, information on only those
105 datapaths are displayed. Otherwise, \fBovs\-dpctl\fR displays information
106 about all configured datapaths.
107 .SS "DEBUGGING COMMANDS"
108 The following commands are primarily useful for debugging Open
109 vSwitch. The flow table entries (both matches and actions) that they
110 work with are not OpenFlow flow entries. Instead, they are different
111 and considerably simpler flows maintained by the Open vSwitch kernel
112 module. Use \fBovs\-ofctl\fR(8), instead, to work with OpenFlow flow
116 The \fIdp\fR argument to each of these commands is optional when
117 exactly one datapath exists, in which case that datapath is the
118 default. When multiple datapaths exist, then a datapath name is
121 .IP "[\fB\-m \fR| \fB\-\-more\fR] \fBdump\-flows\fR [\fIdp\fR]"
122 Prints to the console all flow entries in datapath \fIdp\fR's flow
123 table. Without \fB\-m\fR or \fB\-\-more\fR, output omits match fields
124 that a flow wildcards entirely; with \fB\-m\fR or \fB\-\-more\fR,
125 output includes all wildcarded fields.
127 .IP "\fBadd\-flow\fR [\fIdp\fR] \fIflow actions\fR"
128 .IQ "[\fB\-\-clear\fR] [\fB\-\-may-create\fR] [\fB\-s\fR | \fB\-\-statistics\fR] \fBmod\-flow\fR [\fIdp\fR] \fIflow actions\fR"
129 Adds or modifies a flow in \fIdp\fR's flow table that, when a packet
130 matching \fIflow\fR arrives, causes \fIactions\fR to be executed.
132 The \fBadd\-flow\fR command succeeds only if \fIflow\fR does not
133 already exist in \fIdp\fR. Contrariwise, \fBmod\-flow\fR without
134 \fB\-\-may\-create\fR only modifies the actions for an existing flow.
135 With \fB\-\-may\-create\fR, \fBmod\-flow\fR will add a new flow or
136 modify an existing one.
138 If \fB\-s\fR or \fB\-\-statistics\fR is specified, then
139 \fBmod\-flows\fR prints the modified flow's statistics. A flow's
140 statistics are the number of packets and bytes that have passed
141 through the flow, the elapsed time since the flow last processed a
142 packet (if ever), and (for TCP flows) the union of the TCP flags
143 processed through the flow.
145 With \fB\-\-clear\fR, \fBmod\-flows\fR zeros out the flow's
146 statistics. The statistics printed if \fB\-s\fR or
147 \fB\-\-statistics\fR is also specified are those from just before
148 clearing the statistics.
150 .IP "[\fB\-s\fR | \fB\-\-statistics\fR] \fBdel\-flow\fR [\fIdp\fR] \fIflow\fR"
151 Deletes the flow from \fIdp\fR's flow table that matches \fIflow\fR.
152 If \fB\-s\fR or \fB\-\-statistics\fR is specified, then
153 \fBmod\-flows\fR prints the deleted flow's statistics.
155 .IP "\fBdel\-flows\fR [\fIdp\fR]"
156 Deletes all flow entries from datapath \fIdp\fR's flow table.
160 .IQ "\fB\-\-statistics\fR"
161 Causes the \fBshow\fR command to print packet and byte counters for
162 each port within the datapaths that it shows.
166 Increases the verbosity of \fBdump\-flows\fR output.
169 .IQ "\fB\-\-timeout=\fIsecs\fR"
170 Limits \fBovs\-dpctl\fR runtime to approximately \fIsecs\fR seconds. If
171 the timeout expires, \fBovs\-dpctl\fR will exit with a \fBSIGALRM\fR
180 .BR ovs\-vswitchd (8)