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, sFlow(R), RSPAN, ERSPAN, IOS-like CLI), and opens the
-forwarding functions to programmatic extension and control.
+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, sFlow, SPAN,
- and RSPAN
- * Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunking
- * Per VM policing
- * NIC bonding with source-MAC load balancing
- * Kernel-based forwarding
- * Support for OpenFlow
- * Compatibility layer for the Linux bridging code
+ * Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunk and access ports
+ * NIC bonding with or without LACP on upstream switch
+ * NetFlow, sFlow(R), SPAN, RSPAN, and ERSPAN for increased visibility
+ * QoS (Quality of Service) configuration, plus policing
+ * GRE, GRE over IPSEC, and CAPWAP tunneling
+ * 802.1ag connectivity fault management
+ * OpenFlow 1.0 plus numerous extensions
+ * Transactional configuration database with C and Python bindings
+ * Compatibility layer for Linux bridging code
+ * High-performance forwarding using a Linux kernel module
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.
+testing focused on 2.6.32 with Centos and Xen patches. 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
To install Open vSwitch without using a kernel module, read
INSTALL.userspace.
-To learn set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read INSTALL.SSL.
+To learn how to set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read INSTALL.SSL.
Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage. Many
of the manpages are customized to your configuration as part of the