.TH ovsdb\-server 1 "@VERSION@" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
.\" This program's name:
.ds PN ovsdb\-server
-.\" SSL peer program's name:
-.ds SN ovsdb\-client
.
.SH NAME
ovsdb\-server \- Open vSwitch database server
[\fB\-\-remote=\fIremote\fR]\&...
[\fB\-\-run=\fIcommand\fR]
.so lib/daemon-syn.man
+.so lib/service-syn.man
.so lib/vlog-syn.man
.so lib/ssl-syn.man
.so lib/ssl-bootstrap-syn.man
It is an error for \fIcolumn\fR to have another type.
.RE
.
+.IP
+To connect or listen on multiple connection methods, use multiple
+\fB\-\-remote\fR options.
+.
.IP "\fB\-\-run=\fIcommand\fR]"
Ordinarily \fBovsdb\-server\fR runs forever, or until it is told to
exit (see \fBRUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS\fR below). With this option,
This option can be useful where a database server is needed only to
run a single command, e.g.:
.B "ovsdb\-server \-\-remote=punix:socket \-\-run='ovsdb\-client dump unix:socket Open_vSwitch'"
+.IP
+This option is not supported on Windows platform.
.SS "Daemon Options"
.ds DD \
\fBovsdb\-server\fR detaches only after it starts listening on all \
configured remotes.
.so lib/daemon.man
+.SS "Service Options"
+.so lib/service.man
.SS "Logging Options"
.so lib/vlog.man
.SS "Public Key Infrastructure Options"
database by configuring a
\fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR remote.
.
+.IP "\fBovsdb\-server/add\-db \fIdatabase\fR"
+Adds the \fIdatabase\fR to the running \fBovsdb\-server\fR. The database
+file must already have been created and initialized using, for example,
+\fBovsdb\-tool create\fR.
+.
+.IP "\fBovsdb\-server/remove\-db \fIdatabase\fR"
+Removes \fIdatabase\fR from the running \fBovsdb\-server\fR. \fIdatabase\fR
+must be a database name as listed by \fBovsdb-server/list\-dbs\fR.
+.IP
+If a remote has been configured that points to the specified
+\fIdatabase\fR (e.g. \fB\-\-remote=db:\fIdatabase\fB,\fR... on the
+command line), then it will be disabled until another database with
+the same name is added again (with \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR).
+.IP
+Any public key infrastructure options specified through this database
+(e.g. \fB\-\-private\-key=db:\fIdatabase,\fR... on the command line)
+will be disabled until another database with the same name is added
+again (with \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR).
+.
+.IP "\fBovsdb\-server/list\-dbs"
+Outputs a list of the currently configured databases added either through
+the command line or through the \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR command.
+.
.so lib/vlog-unixctl.man
.so lib/memory-unixctl.man
.so lib/coverage-unixctl.man
-.so lib/stress-unixctl.man
+.SH "SPECIFICATIONS"
+.
+.PP
+\fBovsdb\-server\fR implements the Open vSwitch Database (OVSDB)
+protocol specified in RFC 7047, with the following clarifications:
+.
+.IP "3.1. JSON Usage"
+RFC 4627 says that names within a JSON object should be unique.
+The Open vSwitch JSON parser discards all but the last value
+for a name that is specified more than once.
+.
+.IP "3.2. Schema Format"
+RFC 7047 requires the "version" field in <database-schema>. Current
+versions of \fBovsdb\-server\fR allow it to be omitted (future
+versions are likely to require it).
+.
+.IP "4. Wire Protocol"
+The original OVSDB specifications included the following reason,
+omitted from RFC 7047, to operate JSON-RPC directly over a stream
+instead of over HTTP:
+.
+.RS
+.IP \(bu
+JSON-RPC is a peer-to-peer protocol, but HTTP is a client-server
+protocol, which is a poor match. Thus, JSON-RPC over HTTP requires
+the client to periodically poll the server to receive server requests.
+.IP \(bu
+HTTP is more complicated than stream connections and doesn't provide
+any corresponding advantage.
+.IP \(bu
+The JSON-RPC specification for HTTP transport is incomplete.
+.RE
+.
+.IP "4.1.5. Monitor"
+For backward compatibility, \fBovsdb\-server\fR currently permits a
+single <monitor-request> to be used instead of an array; it is treated
+as a single-element array. Future versions of \fBovsdb\-server\fR
+might remove this compatibility feature.
+.IP
+Because the <json-value> parameter is used to match subsequent update
+notifications (see below) to the request, it must be unique among all
+active monitors. \fBovsdb\-server\fR rejects attempt to create two
+monitors with the same identifier.
+.
+.IP "6. IANA Considerations"
+\fBovsdb\-server\fR currently defaults to its historical port number
+6632. Future versions will adopt IANA-assigned port 6640 as default.
+
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.
.BR ovsdb\-tool (1).