Open vSwitch is a multilayer software switch licensed under the open
source Apache 2 license. Our goal is to implement a production
quality switch platform that supports standard management interfaces
-(e.g. NetFlow, RSPAN, ERSPAN, IOS-like CLI), and opens the forwarding
-functions to programmatic extension and control.
+(e.g. NetFlow, sFlow(R), RSPAN, ERSPAN, IOS-like CLI), and opens the
+forwarding functions to programmatic extension and control.
Open vSwitch is well suited to function as a virtual switch in VM
environments. In addition to exposing standard control and visibility
easily ported to other environments. The current release of Open
vSwitch supports the following features:
- * Visibility into inter-VM communication via NetFlow, SPAN, and RSPAN
+ * Visibility into inter-VM communication via NetFlow, sFlow, SPAN,
+ and RSPAN
* Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunking
* Per VM policing
* NIC bonding with source-MAC load balancing
* Support for OpenFlow
* Compatibility layer for the Linux bridging code
-Open vSwitch supports Linux 2.6.15 and up, with testing focused on
-2.6.18 with Centos and Xen patches and version 2.6.26 from kernel.org.
-Open vSwitch also has special support for Citrix XenServer hosts.
+The included Linux kernel module supports Linux 2.6.18 and up, with
+testing focused on 2.6.18 with Centos and Xen patches and version
+2.6.26 from kernel.org. Open vSwitch also has special support for
+Citrix XenServer hosts.
+
+Open vSwitch can also operate, at a cost in performance, entirely in
+userspace, without assistance from a kernel module. This userspace
+implementation should be easier to port than the kernel-based switch.
+It is considered experimental.
What's here?
------------
* ovs-vswitchd, a daemon that implements the switch, along with
a companion Linux kernel module for flow-based switching.
+ * ovsdb-server, a lightweight database server that ovs-vswitchd
+ queries to obtain its configuration.
+
* ovs-brcompatd, a daemon that allows ovs-vswitchd to act as a
drop-in replacement for the Linux bridge in many environments,
along with a companion Linux kernel module to intercept bridge
* ovs-appctl, a utility that sends commands to running Open
vSwitch daemons.
+ * ovsdbmonitor, a GUI tool for remotely viewing OVS databases and
+ OpenFlow flow tables.
+
Open vSwitch also provides an OpenFlow implementation and tools for
those interested in OpenFlow but not additional Open vSwitch features:
- * ovs-openflowd, a program that implements a simple OpenFlow
- switch (without the special features provided by ovs-vswitchd)
- using the same kernel module as ovs-vswitchd.
+ * ovs-openflowd, an alternative to ovs-vswitchd that implements a
+ simple OpenFlow switch, without the special features provided by
+ ovs-vswitchd.
* ovs-controller, a simple OpenFlow controller.
To build RPMs for installing Open vSwitch on a Citrix XenServer host
or resource pool, read INSTALL.XenServer.
+To use Open vSwitch with KVM on Linux, read INSTALL.Linux, then
+INSTALL.KVM.
+
+To install Open vSwitch without using a kernel module, read
+INSTALL.userspace.
+
To learn set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read INSTALL.SSL.
Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage. Many