13 .TH ovs\-vsctl 8 "November 2009" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
14 .\" This program's name:
16 .\" SSL peer program's name:
20 ovs\-vsctl \- utility for querying and configuring \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR
23 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR [\fIoptions\fR] \fB\-\-\fR [\fIoptions\fR] \fIcommand
24 \fR[\fIargs\fR] [\fB\-\-\fR [\fIoptions\fR] \fIcommand \fR[\fIargs\fR]]...
27 The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR program configures \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8) by
28 providing a high\-level interface to its configuration
29 database. This program is mainly intended for use when
30 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is running. If it is used when
31 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is not running, then \fB\-\-no\-wait\fR should be
32 specified and configuration changes will only take effect when
33 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is started.
35 By default, each time \fBovs\-vsctl\fR runs, it connects to an
36 \fBovsdb\-server\fR process that maintains an Open vSwitch
37 configuration database. Using this connection, it queries and
38 possibly applies changes to the database, depending on the supplied
39 commands. Then, if it applied any changes, it waits until
40 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR has finished reconfiguring itself before it exits.
42 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR can perform any number of commands in a single run,
43 implemented as a single atomic transaction against the database.
45 The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR command line begins with global options (see
46 \fBOPTIONS\fR below for details). The global options are followed by
47 one or more commands. Each command should begin with \fB\-\-\fR by
48 itself as a command-line argument, to separate it from the global
49 options and following commands. (If the first command does not have
50 any options, then the first \fB\-\-\fR may be omitted.) The command
51 itself starts with command-specific options, if any, followed by the
52 command name and any arguments. See \fBEXAMPLES\fR below for syntax
55 .SS "Linux VLAN Bridging Compatibility"
56 The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR program supports the model of a bridge
57 implemented by Open vSwitch, in which a single bridge supports ports
58 on multiple VLANs. In this model, each port on a bridge is either a
59 trunk port that potentially passes packets tagged with 802.1Q headers
60 that designate VLANs or it is assigned a single implicit VLAN that is
61 never tagged with an 802.1Q header.
63 For compatibility with software designed for the Linux bridge,
64 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR also supports a model in which traffic associated
65 with a given 802.1Q VLAN is segregated into a separate bridge. A
66 special form of the \fBadd\-br\fR command (see below) creates a ``fake
67 bridge'' within an Open vSwitch bridge to simulate this behavior.
68 When such a ``fake bridge'' is active, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR will treat it
69 much like a bridge separate from its ``parent bridge,'' but the actual
70 implementation in Open vSwitch uses only a single bridge, with ports on
71 the fake bridge assigned the implicit VLAN of the fake bridge of which
76 The following options affect the behavior \fBovs\-vsctl\fR as a whole.
77 Some individual commands also accept their own options, which are
78 given just before the command name. If the first command on the
79 command line has options, then those options must be separated from
80 the global options by \fB\-\-\fR.
82 .IP "\fB\-\-db=\fIserver\fR"
83 Sets \fIserver\fR as the database server that \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
84 contacts to query or modify configuration. The default is
85 \fBunix:@RUNDIR@/db.sock\fR. \fIserver\fR must take one of the
88 .so ovsdb/remote-active.man
89 .so ovsdb/remote-passive.man
92 .IP "\fB\-\-no\-wait\fR"
93 Prevents \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from waiting for \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR to
94 reconfigure itself according to the the modified database. This
95 option should be used if \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is not running;
96 otherwise, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR will not exit until \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR
99 This option has no effect if the commands specified do not change the
102 .IP "\fB\-\-no\-syslog\fR"
103 By default, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR logs its arguments and the details of any
104 changes that it makes to the system log. This option disables this
107 This option is equivalent to \fB\-\-verbose=vsctl:syslog:warn\fR.
109 .IP "\fB\-\-oneline\fR"
110 Modifies the output format so that the output for each command is printed
111 on a single line. New-line characters that would otherwise separate
112 lines are printed as \fB\\n\fR, and any instances of \fB\\\fR that
113 would otherwise appear in the output are doubled.
114 Prints a blank line for each command that has no output.
115 This option does not affect the formatting of output from the
116 \fBlist\fR or \fBfind\fR commands; see \fBTable Formatting Options\fR
119 .IP "\fB\-\-dry\-run\fR"
120 Prevents \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from actually modifying the database.
122 .IP "\fB\-t \fIsecs\fR"
123 .IQ "\fB\-\-timeout=\fIsecs\fR"
124 By default, or with a \fIsecs\fR of \fB0\fR, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR waits
125 forever for a response from the database. This option limits runtime
126 to approximately \fIsecs\fR seconds. If the timeout expires,
127 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR will exit with a \fBSIGALRM\fR signal. (A timeout
128 would normally happen only if the database cannot be contacted, or if
129 the system is overloaded.)
131 .SS "Table Formatting Options"
132 These options control the format of output from the \fBlist\fR and
136 .SS "Public Key Infrastructure Options"
138 .so lib/ssl-bootstrap.man
139 .so lib/ssl-peer-ca-cert.man
143 The commands implemented by \fBovs\-vsctl\fR are described in the
145 .SS "Open vSwitch Commands"
146 These commands work with an Open vSwitch as a whole.
149 Initializes the Open vSwitch database, if it is empty. If the
150 database has already been initialized, this command has no effect.
152 Any successful \fBovs\-vsctl\fR command automatically initializes the
153 Open vSwitch database if it is empty. This command is provided to
154 initialize the database without executing any other command.
157 Prints a brief overview of the database contents.
159 .IP "\fBemer\-reset\fR"
160 Reset the configuration into a clean state. It deconfigures OpenFlow
161 controllers, OVSDB servers, and SSL, and deletes port mirroring,
162 \fBfail_mode\fR, NetFlow, and sFlow configuration. This command also
163 removes all \fBother\-config\fR keys from all database records, except
164 that \fBother\-config:hwaddr\fR is preserved if it is present in a
165 Bridge record. Other networking configuration is left as-is.
167 .SS "Bridge Commands"
168 These commands examine and manipulate Open vSwitch bridges.
170 .IP "[\fB\-\-may\-exist\fR] \fBadd\-br \fIbridge\fR"
171 Creates a new bridge named \fIbridge\fR. Initially the bridge will
172 have no ports (other than \fIbridge\fR itself).
174 Without \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, attempting to create a bridge that
175 exists is an error. With \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, this command does
176 nothing if \fIbridge\fR already exists as a real bridge.
178 .IP "[\fB\-\-may\-exist\fR] \fBadd\-br \fIbridge parent vlan\fR"
179 Creates a ``fake bridge'' named \fIbridge\fR within the existing Open
180 vSwitch bridge \fIparent\fR, which must already exist and must not
181 itself be a fake bridge. The new fake bridge will be on 802.1Q VLAN
182 \fIvlan\fR, which must be an integer between 1 and 4095. Initially
183 \fIbridge\fR will have no ports (other than \fIbridge\fR itself).
185 Without \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, attempting to create a bridge that
186 exists is an error. With \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, this command does
187 nothing if \fIbridge\fR already exists as a VLAN bridge under
188 \fIparent\fR for \fIvlan\fR.
190 .IP "[\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBdel\-br \fIbridge\fR"
191 Deletes \fIbridge\fR and all of its ports. If \fIbridge\fR is a real
192 bridge, this command also deletes any fake bridges that were created
193 with \fIbridge\fR as parent, including all of their ports.
195 Without \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR, attempting to delete a bridge that does
196 not exist is an error. With \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR, attempting to
197 delete a bridge that does not exist has no effect.
200 Lists all existing real and fake bridges on standard output, one per
203 .IP "\fBbr\-exists \fIbridge\fR"
204 Tests whether \fIbridge\fR exists as a real or fake bridge. If so,
205 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR exits successfully with exit code 0. If not,
206 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR exits unsuccessfully with exit code 2.
208 .IP "\fBbr\-to\-vlan \fIbridge\fR"
209 If \fIbridge\fR is a fake bridge, prints the bridge's 802.1Q VLAN as a
210 decimal integer. If \fIbridge\fR is a real bridge, prints 0.
212 .IP "\fBbr\-to\-parent \fIbridge\fR"
213 If \fIbridge\fR is a fake bridge, prints the name of its parent
214 bridge. If \fIbridge\fR is a real bridge, print \fIbridge\fR.
216 .IP "\fBbr\-set\-external\-id \fIbridge key\fR [\fIvalue\fR]"
217 Sets or clears an ``external ID'' value on \fIbridge\fR. These values
218 are intended to identify entities external to Open vSwitch with which
219 \fIbridge\fR is associated, e.g. the bridge's identifier in a
220 virtualization management platform. The Open vSwitch database schema
221 specifies well-known \fIkey\fR values, but \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
222 are otherwise arbitrary strings.
224 If \fIvalue\fR is specified, then \fIkey\fR is set to \fIvalue\fR for
225 \fIbridge\fR, overwriting any previous value. If \fIvalue\fR is
226 omitted, then \fIkey\fR is removed from \fIbridge\fR's set of external
227 IDs (if it was present).
229 For real bridges, the effect of this command is similar to that of a
230 \fBset\fR or \fBremove\fR command in the \fBexternal\-ids\fR column of
231 the \fBBridge\fR table. For fake bridges, it actually modifies keys
232 with names prefixed by \fBfake\-bridge\-\fR in the \fBPort\fR table.
234 .IP "\fBbr\-get\-external\-id \fIbridge\fR [\fIkey\fR]"
235 Queries the external IDs on \fIbridge\fR. If \fIkey\fR is specified,
236 the output is the value for that \fIkey\fR or the empty string if
237 \fIkey\fR is unset. If \fIkey\fR is omitted, the output is
238 \fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, one per line, for each key-value pair.
240 For real bridges, the effect of this command is similar to that of a
241 \fBget\fR command in the \fBexternal\-ids\fR column of the
242 \fBBridge\fR table. For fake bridges, it queries keys with names
243 prefixed by \fBfake\-bridge\-\fR in the \fBPort\fR table.
247 These commands examine and manipulate Open vSwitch ports. These
248 commands treat a bonded port as a single entity.
250 .IP "\fBlist\-ports \fIbridge\fR"
251 Lists all of the ports within \fIbridge\fR on standard output, one per
252 line. The local port \fIbridge\fR is not included in the list.
254 .IP "[\fB\-\-may\-exist\fR] \fBadd\-port \fIbridge port \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fR=\fIvalue\fR]\&...\fR"
255 Creates on \fIbridge\fR a new port named \fIport\fR from the network
256 device of the same name.
258 Optional arguments set values of column in the Port record created by
259 the command. For example, \fBtag=9\fR would make the port an access
260 port for VLAN 9. The syntax is the same as that for the \fBset\fR
261 command (see \fBDatabase Commands\fR below).
263 Without \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, attempting to create a port that exists
264 is an error. With \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, this command does nothing if
265 \fIport\fR already exists on \fIbridge\fR and is not a bonded port.
267 .IP "[\fB\-\-fake\-iface\fR] \fBadd\-bond \fIbridge port iface\fR\&... [\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fR=\fIvalue\fR]\&...\fR"
268 Creates on \fIbridge\fR a new port named \fIport\fR that bonds
269 together the network devices given as each \fIiface\fR. At least two
270 interfaces must be named.
272 Optional arguments set values of column in the Port record created by
273 the command. The syntax is the same as that for the \fBset\fR command
274 (see \fBDatabase Commands\fR below).
276 With \fB\-\-fake\-iface\fR, a fake interface with the name \fIport\fR is
277 created. This should only be used for compatibility with legacy
278 software that requires it.
280 Without \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, attempting to create a port that exists
281 is an error. With \fB\-\-may\-exist\fR, this command does nothing if
282 \fIport\fR already exists on \fIbridge\fR and bonds together exactly
283 the specified interfaces.
285 .IP "[\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBdel\-port \fR[\fIbridge\fR] \fIport\fR"
286 Deletes \fIport\fR. If \fIbridge\fR is omitted, \fIport\fR is removed
287 from whatever bridge contains it; if \fIbridge\fR is specified, it
288 must be the real or fake bridge that contains \fIport\fR.
290 Without \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR, attempting to delete a port that does
291 not exist is an error. With \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR, attempting to
292 delete a port that does not exist has no effect.
294 .IP "[\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fB\-\-with\-iface del\-port \fR[\fIbridge\fR] \fIiface\fR"
295 Deletes the port named \fIiface\fR or that has an interface named
296 \fIiface\fR. If \fIbridge\fR is omitted, the port is removed from
297 whatever bridge contains it; if \fIbridge\fR is specified, it must be
298 the real or fake bridge that contains the port.
300 Without \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR, attempting to delete the port for an
301 interface that does not exist is an error. With \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR,
302 attempting to delete the port for an interface that does not exist has
305 .IP "\fBport\-to\-br \fIport\fR"
306 Prints the name of the bridge that contains \fIport\fR on standard
309 .SS "Interface Commands"
311 These commands examine the interfaces attached to an Open vSwitch
312 bridge. These commands treat a bonded port as a collection of two or
313 more interfaces, rather than as a single port.
315 .IP "\fBlist\-ifaces \fIbridge\fR"
316 Lists all of the interfaces within \fIbridge\fR on standard output,
317 one per line. The local port \fIbridge\fR is not included in the
320 .IP "\fBiface\-to\-br \fIiface\fR"
321 Prints the name of the bridge that contains \fIiface\fR on standard
324 .SS "OpenFlow Controller Connectivity"
326 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR can perform all configured bridging and switching
327 locally, or it can be configured to connect a given bridge to one or
328 more external OpenFlow controllers, such as NOX.
330 .IP "\fBget\-controller\fR \fIbridge\fR"
331 Prints the configured controller target.
333 .IP "\fBdel\-controller\fR \fIbridge\fR"
334 Deletes the configured controller target.
336 .IP "\fBset\-controller\fR \fIbridge\fR \fItarget\fR\&..."
337 Sets the configured controller target or targets. Each \fItarget\fR may
338 use any of the following forms:
341 .so lib/vconn-active.man
344 .ST "Controller Failure Settings"
346 When a controller is configured, it is, ordinarily, responsible for
347 setting up all flows on the switch. Thus, if the connection to
348 the controller fails, no new network connections can be set up. If
349 the connection to the controller stays down long enough, no packets
350 can pass through the switch at all.
352 If the value is \fBstandalone\fR, or if neither of these settings
353 is set, \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR will take over
354 responsibility for setting up
355 flows when no message has been received from the controller for three
356 times the inactivity probe interval (xxx needs to be exposed). In this mode,
357 \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR causes the datapath to act like an ordinary
358 MAC-learning switch. \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR will continue to retry connecting
359 to the controller in the background and, when the connection succeeds,
360 it discontinues its standalone behavior.
362 If this option is set to \fBsecure\fR, \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR will not
363 set up flows on its own when the controller connection fails.
365 .IP "\fBget\-fail\-mode\fR \fIbridge\fR"
366 Prints the configured failure mode.
368 .IP "\fBdel\-fail\-mode\fR \fIbridge\fR"
369 Deletes the configured failure mode.
371 .IP "\fBset\-fail\-mode\fR \fIbridge\fR \fBstandalone\fR|\fBsecure\fR"
372 Sets the configured failure mode.
374 .SS "Manager Connectivity"
376 These commands manipulate the \fBmanager_options\fR column in the
377 \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table and rows in the \fBManagers\fR table. When
378 \fBovsdb\-server\fR is configured to use the \fBmanager_options\fR column for
379 OVSDB connections (as described in \fBINSTALL.Linux\fR and in the startup
380 scripts provided with Open vSwitch), this allows the administrator to use
381 \fBovs\-vsctl\fR to configure database connections.
383 .IP "\fBget\-manager\fR"
384 Prints the configured manager(s).
386 .IP "\fBdel\-manager\fR"
387 Deletes the configured manager(s).
389 .IP "\fBset\-manager\fR \fItarget\fR\&..."
390 Sets the configured manager target or targets. Each \fItarget\fR may
391 use any of the following forms:
394 .so ovsdb/remote-active.man
395 .so ovsdb/remote-passive.man
398 .SS "SSL Configuration"
399 When \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is configured to connect over SSL for management or
400 controller connectivity, the following parameters are required:
403 Specifies a PEM file containing the private key used as the virtual
404 switch's identity for SSL connections to the controller.
407 Specifies a PEM file containing a certificate, signed by the
408 certificate authority (CA) used by the controller and manager, that
409 certifies the virtual switch's private key, identifying a trustworthy
413 Specifies a PEM file containing the CA certificate used to verify that
414 the virtual switch is connected to a trustworthy controller.
416 These files are read only once, at \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR startup time. If
417 their contents change, \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR must be killed and restarted.
419 These SSL settings apply to all SSL connections made by the virtual
423 Prints the SSL configuration.
426 Deletes the current SSL configuration.
428 .IP "[\fB\-\-bootstrap\fR] \fBset\-ssl\fR \fIprivate-key\fR \fIcertificate\fR \fIca-cert\fR"
429 Sets the SSL configuration. The \fB\-\-bootstrap\fR option is described
432 .ST "CA Certificate Bootstrap"
434 Ordinarily, all of the files named in the SSL configuration must exist
435 when \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR starts. However, if the \fIca-cert\fR file
436 does not exist and the \fB\-\-bootstrap\fR
437 option is given, then \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR will attempt to obtain the
438 CA certificate from the controller on its first SSL connection and
439 save it to the named PEM file. If it is successful, it will
440 immediately drop the connection and reconnect, and from then on all
441 SSL connections must be authenticated by a certificate signed by the
442 CA certificate thus obtained.
444 \fBThis option exposes the SSL connection to a man-in-the-middle
445 attack obtaining the initial CA certificate\fR, but it may be useful
448 This option is only useful if the controller sends its CA certificate
449 as part of the SSL certificate chain. The SSL protocol does not
450 require the controller to send the CA certificate, but
451 \fBovs\-controller\fR(8) can be configured to do so with the
452 \fB\-\-peer\-ca\-cert\fR option.
454 .SS "Database Commands"
456 These commands query and modify the contents of \fBovsdb\fR tables.
457 They are a slight abstraction of the \fBovsdb\fR interface and as such
458 they operate at a lower level than other \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands.
460 .ST "Identifying Tables, Records, and Columns"
462 Each of these commands has a \fItable\fR parameter to identify a table
463 within the database. Many of them also take a \fIrecord\fR parameter
464 that identifies a particular record within a table. The \fIrecord\fR
465 parameter may be the UUID for a record, and many tables offer
466 additional ways to identify records. Some commands also take
467 \fIcolumn\fR parameters that identify a particular field within the
470 The following tables are currently defined:
471 .IP "\fBOpen_vSwitch\fR"
472 Global configuration for an \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR. This table contains
473 exactly one record, identified by specifying \fB.\fR as the record
476 Configuration for a bridge within an Open vSwitch. Records may be
477 identified by bridge name.
479 A bridge port. Records may be identified by port name.
480 .IP "\fBInterface\fR"
481 A network device attached to a port. Records may be identified by
484 Quality-of-service configuration for a \fBPort\fR. Records may be
485 identified by port name.
487 Configuration for one queue within a \fBQoS\fR configuration. Records
488 may only be identified by UUID.
490 A port mirroring configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
491 identified by mirror name.
492 .IP "\fBController\fR"
493 Configuration for an OpenFlow controller. A controller attached to a
494 particular bridge may be identified by the bridge's name.
496 Configuration for an OVSDB connection. Records may be identified
497 by target (e.g. \fBtcp:1.2.3.4\fR).
499 A NetFlow configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
500 identified by bridge name.
502 The global SSL configuration for \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR. The record
503 attached to the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table may be identified by
504 specifying \fB.\fR as the record name.
506 An sFlow configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
507 identified by bridge name.
509 Record names must be specified in full and with correct
510 capitalization. Names of tables and columns are not case-sensitive,
511 and \fB\-\-\fR and \fB_\fR are treated interchangeably. Unique
512 abbreviations are acceptable, e.g. \fBnet\fR or \fBn\fR is sufficient
513 to identify the \fBNetFlow\fR table.
515 .ST "Database Values"
517 Each column in the database accepts a fixed type of data. The
518 currently defined basic types, and their representations, are:
520 A decimal integer in the range \-2**63 to 2**63\-1, inclusive.
522 A floating-point number.
524 True or false, written \fBtrue\fR or \fBfalse\fR, respectively.
526 An arbitrary Unicode string, except that null bytes are not allowed.
527 Quotes are optional for most strings that begin with an English letter
528 or underscore and consist only of letters, underscores, hyphens, and
529 periods. However, \fBtrue\fR and \fBfalse\fR and strings that match
530 the syntax of UUIDs (see below) must be enclosed in double quotes to
531 distinguish them from other basic types. When double quotes are used,
532 the syntax is that of strings in JSON, e.g. backslashes may be used to
533 escape special characters. The empty string must be represented as a
534 pair of double quotes (\fB""\fR).
536 Either a universally unique identifier in the style of RFC 4122,
537 e.g. \fBf81d4fae\-7dec\-11d0\-a765\-00a0c91e6bf6\fR, or an \fB@\fIname\fR
538 defined by a \fBget\fR or \fBcreate\fR command within the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
541 Multiple values in a single column may be separated by spaces or a
542 single comma. When multiple values are present, duplicates are not
543 allowed, and order is not important. Conversely, some database
544 columns can have an empty set of values, represented as \fB[]\fR, and
545 square brackets may optionally enclose other non-empty sets or single
548 A few database columns are ``maps'' of key-value pairs, where the key
549 and the value are each some fixed database type. These are specified
550 in the form \fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, where \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
551 follow the syntax for the column's key type and value type,
552 respectively. When multiple pairs are present (separated by spaces or
553 a comma), duplicate keys are not allowed, and again the order is not
554 important. Duplicate values are allowed. An empty map is represented
555 as \fB{}\fR, and curly braces may be optionally enclose non-empty maps
558 .ST "Database Command Syntax"
559 .IP "[\fB\-\-columns=\fIcolumn\fR[\fB,\fIcolumn\fR]...] \fBlist \fItable \fR[\fIrecord\fR]..."
560 Lists the data in each specified \fIrecord\fR. If no
561 records are specified, lists all the records in \fItable\fR.
563 If \fB\-\-columns\fR is specified, only the requested columns are
564 listed, in the specified order. Otherwise, all columns are listed, in
565 alphabetical order by column name.
567 .IP "[\fB\-\-columns=\fIcolumn\fR[\fB,\fIcolumn\fR]...] \fBfind \fItable \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR]..."
568 Lists the data in each record in \fItable\fR whose \fIcolumn\fR equals
569 \fIvalue\fR or, if \fIkey\fR is specified, whose \fIcolumn\fR contains
570 a \fIkey\fR with the specified \fIvalue\fR. Any of the operators
571 \fB!=\fR, \fB<\fR, \fB>\fR, \fB<=\fR, or \fB>=\fR may be substituted
572 for \fB=\fR to test for inequality, less than, greater than, less than
573 or equal to, or greater than or equal to, respectively. (Don't forget
574 to escape \fB<\fR or \fB>\fR from interpretation by the shell.)
576 If \fB\-\-columns\fR is specified, only the requested columns are
577 listed, in the specified order. Otherwise all columns are listed, in
578 alphabetical order by column name.
580 The UUIDs shown for rows created in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
581 invocation will be wrong.
583 .IP "[\fB\-\-id=@\fIname\fR] [\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBget \fItable record \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]]..."
584 Prints the value of each specified \fIcolumn\fR in the given
585 \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. For map columns, a \fIkey\fR may
586 optionally be specified, in which case the value associated with
587 \fIkey\fR in the column is printed, instead of the entire map.
589 For a map column, without \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR it is an error if
590 \fIkey\fR does not exist; with it, a blank line is printed. If
591 \fIcolumn\fR is not a map column or if \fIkey\fR is not specified,
592 \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR has no effect.
594 If \fB@\fIname\fR is specified, then the UUID for \fIrecord\fR may be
595 referred to by that name later in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
596 invocation in contexts where a UUID is expected.
598 Both \fB\-\-id\fR and the \fIcolumn\fR arguments are optional, but
599 usually at least one or the other should be specified. If both are
600 omitted, then \fBget\fR has no effect except to verify that
601 \fIrecord\fR exists in \fItable\fR.
603 .IP "\fBset \fItable record column\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR..."
604 Sets the value of each specified \fIcolumn\fR in the given
605 \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR to \fIvalue\fR. For map columns, a
606 \fIkey\fR may optionally be specified, in which case the value
607 associated with \fIkey\fR in that column is changed (or added, if none
608 exists), instead of the entire map.
610 .IP "\fBadd \fItable record column \fR[\fIkey\fB=\fR]\fIvalue\fR..."
611 Adds the specified value or key-value pair to \fIcolumn\fR in
612 \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. If \fIcolumn\fR is a map, then \fIkey\fR
613 is required, otherwise it is prohibited. If \fIkey\fR already exists
614 in a map column, then the current \fIvalue\fR is not replaced (use the
615 \fBset\fR command to replace an existing value).
617 .IP "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIvalue\fR..."
618 .IQ "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIkey\fR..."
619 .IQ "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIkey\fB=\fR\fIvalue\fR..."
620 Removes the specified values or key-value pairs from \fIcolumn\fR in
621 \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. The first form applies to columns that
622 are not maps: each specified \fIvalue\fR is removed from the column.
623 The second and third forms apply to map columns: if only a \fIkey\fR
624 is specified, then any key-value pair with the given \fIkey\fR is
625 removed, regardless of its value; if a \fIvalue\fR is given then a
626 pair is removed only if both key and value match.
628 It is not an error if the column does not contain the specified key or
631 .IP "\fBclear\fR \fItable record column\fR..."
632 Sets each \fIcolumn\fR in \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR to the empty set
633 or empty map, as appropriate. This command applies only to columns
634 that are allowed to be empty.
636 .IP "[\fB\-\-id=@\fIname\fR] \fBcreate\fR \fItable column\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR..."
637 Creates a new record in \fItable\fR and sets the initial values of
638 each \fIcolumn\fR. Columns not explicitly set will receive their
639 default values. Outputs the UUID of the new row.
641 If \fB@\fIname\fR is specified, then the UUID for the new row may be
642 referred to by that name elsewhere in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
643 invocation in contexts where a UUID is expected. Such references may
644 precede or follow the \fBcreate\fR command.
646 Records in the Open vSwitch database are significant only when they
647 can be reached directly or indirectly from the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR
648 table. Except for records in the \fBQoS\fR or \fBQueue\fR tables,
649 records that are not reachable from the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table are
650 automatically deleted from the database. This deletion happens
651 immediately, without waiting for additional \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands
652 or other database activity. Thus, a \fBcreate\fR command must
653 generally be accompanied by additional commands \fIwithin the same
654 \fBovs\-vsctl\fI invocation\fR to add a chain of references to the
655 newly created record from the top-level \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR record.
656 The \fBEXAMPLES\fR section gives some examples that show how to do
659 .IP "\fR[\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBdestroy \fItable record\fR..."
660 Deletes each specified \fIrecord\fR from \fItable\fR. Unless
661 \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR is specified, each \fIrecord\fRs must exist.
663 The \fBdestroy\fR command is only useful for records in the \fBQoS\fR
664 or \fBQueue\fR tables. Records in other tables are automatically
665 deleted from the database when they become unreachable from the
666 \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table. This means that deleting the last reference
667 to a record is sufficient for deleting the record itself. For records
668 in these tables, \fBdestroy\fR is silently ignored. See the
669 \fBEXAMPLES\fR section below for more information.
671 .IP "\fBwait\-until \fItable record \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR]..."
672 Waits until \fItable\fR contains a record named \fIrecord\fR whose
673 \fIcolumn\fR equals \fIvalue\fR or, if \fIkey\fR is specified, whose
674 \fIcolumn\fR contains a \fIkey\fR with the specified \fIvalue\fR. Any
675 of the operators \fB!=\fR, \fB<\fR, \fB>\fR, \fB<=\fR, or \fB>=\fR may
676 be substituted for \fB=\fR to test for inequality, less than, greater
677 than, less than or equal to, or greater than or equal to,
678 respectively. (Don't forget to escape \fB<\fR or \fB>\fR from
679 interpretation by the shell.)
681 If no \fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR arguments are given,
682 this command waits only until \fIrecord\fR exists. If more than one
683 such argument is given, the command waits until all of them are
686 Usually \fBwait\-until\fR should be placed at the beginning of a set
687 of \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands. For example, \fBwait\-until bridge br0
688 \-\- get bridge br0 datapath_id\fR waits until a bridge named
689 \fBbr0\fR is created, then prints its \fBdatapath_id\fR column,
690 whereas \fBget bridge br0 datapath_id \-\- wait\-until bridge br0\fR
691 will abort if no bridge named \fBbr0\fR exists when \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
692 initially connects to the database.
694 Consider specifying \fB\-\-timeout=0\fR along with
695 \fB\-\-wait\-until\fR, to prevent \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from terminating
696 after waiting only at most 5 seconds.
697 .IP "\fBcomment \fR[\fIarg\fR]..."
698 This command has no effect on behavior, but any database log record
699 created by the command will include the command and its arguments.
701 Create a new bridge named br0 and add port eth0 to it:
703 .B "ovs\-vsctl add\-br br0"
705 .B "ovs\-vsctl add\-port br0 eth0"
707 Alternatively, perform both operations in a single atomic transaction:
709 .B "ovs\-vsctl add\-br br0 \-\- add\-port br0 eth0"
711 Delete bridge \fBbr0\fR, reporting an error if it does not exist:
713 .B "ovs\-vsctl del\-br br0"
715 Delete bridge \fBbr0\fR if it exists (the \fB\-\-\fR is required to
716 separate \fBdel\-br\fR's options from the global options):
718 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- \-\-if\-exists del\-br br0"
720 Set the \fBqos\fR column of the \fBPort\fR record for \fBeth0\fR to
721 point to a new \fBQoS\fR record, which in turn points with its queue 0
722 to a new \fBQueue\fR record:
724 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- set port eth0 qos=@newqos \-\- \-\-id=@newqos create qos type=linux\-htb other\-config:max\-rate=1000000 queues:0=@newqueue \-\- \-\-id=@newqueue create queue other\-config:min\-rate=1000000 other\-config:max\-rate=1000000"
725 .SH "CONFIGURATION COOKBOOK"
726 .SS "Port Configuration"
728 Add an ``internal port'' \fBvlan10\fR to bridge \fBbr0\fR as a VLAN
729 access port for VLAN 10, and configure it with an IP address:
731 .B "ovs\-vsctl add\-port br0 vlan10 tag=10 \-\- set Interface vlan10 type=internal"
733 .B "ifconfig vlan10 192.168.0.123"
737 Mirror all packets received or sent on \fBeth0\fR or \fBeth1\fR onto
738 \fBeth2\fR, assuming that all of those ports exist on bridge \fBbr0\fR
739 (as a side-effect this causes any packets received on \fBeth2\fR to be
742 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- set Bridge br0 mirrors=@m \(rs"
744 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@eth0 get Port eth0 \(rs"
746 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@eth1 get Port eth1 \(rs"
748 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@eth2 get Port eth2 \(rs"
750 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@m create Mirror name=mymirror select-dst-port=@eth0,@eth1 select-src-port=@eth0,@eth1 output-port=@eth2"
752 Remove the mirror created above from \fBbr0\fR, which also destroys
753 the Mirror record (since it is now unreferenced):
755 .B "remove Bridge br0 mirrors mymirror"
756 .SS "Quality of Service (QoS)"
758 Create a \fBlinux\-htb\fR QoS record that points to a few queues and
759 use it on \fBeth0\fR and \fBeth1\fR:
761 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- set Port eth0 qos=@newqos \(rs"
763 .B "\-\- set Port eth1 qos=@newqos \(rs"
765 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@newqos create QoS type=linux\-htb other\-config:max\-rate=1000000000 queues=0=@q0,1=@q1 \(rs"
767 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@q0 create Queue other\-config:min\-rate=100000000 other\-config:max\-rate=100000000 \(rs"
769 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@q1 create Queue other\-config:min\-rate=500000000"
771 Deconfigure the QoS record above from \fBeth1\fR only:
773 .B "ovs\-vsctl clear Port eth1 qos"
775 To deconfigure the QoS record from both \fBeth0\fR and \fBeth1\fR and
776 then delete the QoS record (which must be done explicitly because
777 unreferenced QoS records are not automatically destroyed):
779 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- destroy QoS eth0 \-\- clear Port eth0 qos \-\- clear Port eth1 qos"
781 (This command will leave two unreferenced Queue records in the
782 database. To delete them, use "\fBovs\-vsctl list Queue\fR" to find
783 their UUIDs, then "\fBovs\-vsctl destroy Queue \fIuuid1\fR
784 \fIuuid2\fR" to destroy each of them.)
785 .SS "Connectivity Monitoring"
787 Monitor connectivity to a remote maintenance point on eth0.
789 .B "ovs\-vsctl set Interface eth0 cfm_mpid=1 cfm_remote_mpid=2"
791 Deconfigure connectivity monitoring from above:
793 .B "ovs\-vsctl clear Interface eth0 cfm_mpid cfm_remote_mpid"
796 Configure bridge \fBbr0\fR to send NetFlow records to UDP port 5566 on
797 host 192.168.0.34, with an active timeout of 30 seconds:
799 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- set Bridge br0 netflow=@nf \(rs"
801 .B "\-\- \-\-id=@nf create NetFlow targets=\(rs\(dq192.168.0.34:5566\(rs\(dq active\-timeout=30"
803 Update the NetFlow configuration created by the previous command to
804 instead use an active timeout of 60 seconds:
806 .B "ovs\-vsctl set NetFlow br0 active_timeout=60"
808 Deconfigure the NetFlow settings from \fBbr0\fR, which also destroys
809 the NetFlow record (since it is now unreferenced):
811 .B "ovs\-vsctl clear Bridge br0 netflow"
814 Configure bridge \fBbr0\fR to send sFlow records to a collector on
815 10.0.0.1 at port 6343, using \fBeth1\fR\'s IP address as the source,
816 with specific sampling parameters:
818 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- \-\-id=@s create sFlow agent=eth1 target=\(rs\(dq10.0.0.1:6343\(rs\(dq header=128 sampling=64 polling=10 \(rs"
820 .B "\-\- set Bridge br0 sflow=@s"
822 Deconfigure sFlow from br0, which also destroys the sFlow record
823 (since it is now unreferenced):
825 .B "ovs\-vsctl \-\- clear Bridge br0 sflow"
828 Successful program execution.
830 Usage, syntax, or configuration file error.
832 The \fIbridge\fR argument to \fBbr\-exists\fR specified the name of a
833 bridge that does not exist.
836 .BR ovsdb\-server (1),
837 .BR ovs\-vswitchd (8).