generic Linux host. If you want to install Open vSwitch on a Citrix
XenServer version 5.5.0, see INSTALL.XenServer instead.
-This version of Open vSwitch should be built manually with "configure"
-and "make". Debian packaging for Open vSwitch is also included, but
-they have not been recently tested, and so Debian packages are not a
-recommended way to use this version of Open vSwitch.
+This version of Open vSwitch may be built manually with "configure"
+and "make", as described below. You may also build Debian packages by
+running "dpkg-buildpackage".
Build Requirements
------------------
- libssl, from OpenSSL, is optional but recommended if you plan to
connect the Open vSwitch to an OpenFlow controller. libssl is
required to establish confidentiality and authenticity in the
- connections from an Open vSwitch to an OpenFlow controller. To
- enable, configure with --enable-ssl=yes.
+ connections from an Open vSwitch to an OpenFlow controller. If
+ libssl is installed, then Open vSwitch will automatically build
+ with support for it.
-To compile the kernel module (which is required for operation), you
-must also install the following:
+To compile the kernel module, you must also install the following. If
+you cannot build or install the kernel module, you may use the
+userspace-only implementation, at a cost in performance. The
+userspace implementation may also lack some features. Refer to
+INSTALL.userspace for more information.
- A supported Linux kernel version. Please refer to README for a
list of supported versions.
and NET_ACT_POLICE, either built-in or as modules.
(NET_CLS_POLICE is obsolete and not needed.)
+ If GRE tunneling is being used it is recommended that the kernel
+ be compiled with IPv6 support (CONFIG_IPV6). This allows for
+ special handling (such as path MTU discovery) of IPv6 packets.
+
+ To use Open vSwitch support for TAP devices, you must enable
+ CONFIG_TUN.
+
- To build a kernel module, you need the same version of GCC that
was used to build that kernel.
distribution tarball), or if you modify the Open vSwitch build system,
you will also need the following software:
- - Autoconf version 2.63 or later.
+ - Autoconf version 2.64 or later.
- Automake version 1.10 or later.
- pkg-config. We test with version 0.22.
+ - Python 2.x, for x >= 4.
+
+If you modify the ovsdbmonitor tool, then you will also need the
+following:
+
+ - pyuic4 from PyQt4 (http://www.riverbankcomputing.co.uk).
+
+If you modify the vswitchd database schema, then the E-R diagram in
+the ovs-vswitchd.conf.db(5) manpage will be updated properly only if
+you have the following:
+
+ - "dot" from graphviz (http://www.graphviz.org/).
+
Installation Requirements
-------------------------
if it is installed in a different location, then some Open
vSwitch log messages will not be as detailed.
+You should ensure that /dev/urandom exists. To support TAP devices,
+you must also ensure that /dev/net/tun exists.
+
+To run the ovsdmonitor tool, the machine must also have the following
+software:
+
+ - Python 2.x, for x >= 4.
+
+ - Python Twisted Conch.
+
+ - Python JSON.
+
+ - PySide or PyQt4.
+
+ - Python Zope interface module.
+
+(On Debian "lenny" the above can be installed with "apt-get install
+python-json python-qt4 python-zopeinterface python-twisted-conch".)
+
Building and Installing Open vSwitch for Linux
==============================================
To verify that the modules have been loaded, run "/sbin/lsmod" and
check that openvswitch_mod is listed.
-Configuration
-=============
+ If the "insmod" operation fails, look at the last few kernel log
+ messages (e.g. with "dmesg | tail"):
+
+ - The message "openvswitch_mod: exports duplicate symbol
+ br_should_route_hook (owned by bridge)" means that the bridge
+ module is loaded. Run "/sbin/rmmod bridge" to remove it.
+
+ If "/sbin/rmmod bridge" fails with "ERROR: Module bridge does
+ not exist in /proc/modules", then the bridge is compiled into
+ the kernel, rather than as a module. Open vSwitch does not
+ support this configuration (see "Build Requirements", above).
+
+ - The message "openvswitch_mod: exports duplicate symbol
+ dp_ioctl_hook (owned by ofdatapath)" means that the ofdatapath
+ module from the OpenFlow reference implementation is loaded.
+ Run "/sbin/rmmod ofdatapath" to remove it. (You might have to
+ delete any existing datapaths beforehand, using the "dpctl"
+ program included with the OpenFlow reference implementation.
+ "ovs-dpctl" will not work.)
+
+ - Otherwise, the most likely problem is that Open vSwitch was
+ built for a kernel different from the one into which you are
+ trying to load it. Run "modinfo" on openvswitch_mod.ko and on
+ a module built for the running kernel, e.g.:
+
+ % /sbin/modinfo openvswitch_mod.ko
+ % /sbin/modinfo /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/net/bridge/bridge.ko
+
+ Compare the "vermagic" lines output by the two commands. If
+ they differ, then Open vSwitch was built for the wrong kernel.
+
+ - If you decide to report a bug or ask a question related to
+ module loading, please include the output from the "dmesg" and
+ "modinfo" commands mentioned above.
+
+7. Initialize the configuration database using ovsdb-tool, e.g.:
+
+ % ovsdb-tool create /usr/local/etc/ovs-vswitchd.conf.db vswitchd/vswitch.ovsschema
+
+Startup
+=======
+
+Before starting ovs-vswitchd itself, you need to start its
+configuration database, ovsdb-server. Each machine on which Open
+vSwitch is installed should run its own copy of ovsdb-server.
+Configure it to use the database you created during step 7 of
+installation, above, to listen on a Unix domain socket, to connect to
+any managers specified in the database itself, and to use the SSL
+configuration in the database:
+
+ % ovsdb-server /usr/local/etc/ovs-vswitchd.conf.db \
+ --remote=punix:/usr/local/var/run/openvswitch/db.sock \
+ --remote=db:Open_vSwitch,managers \
+ --private-key=db:SSL,private_key \
+ --certificate=db:SSL,certificate \
+ --bootstrap-ca-cert=db:SSL,ca_cert
+
+Then initialize the database using ovs-vsctl. This is only
+necessary the first time after you create the database with
+ovsdb-tool (but running it at any time is harmless):
+
+ % ovs-vsctl --no-wait init
+
+Then start the main Open vSwitch daemon, telling it to connect to the
+same Unix domain socket:
-Open vSwitch is configured primarily through a configuration file,
-whose name is specified on the ovs-vswitchd command line. Please
-refer to ovs-vswitchd(8) and ovs-vswitchd.conf(5) for information on
-how to start ovs-vswitchd and the syntax of its configuration file,
-respectively.
+ % ovs-vswitchd unix:/usr/local/var/run/openvswitch/db.sock
-At runtime, you may make ovs-vswitchd reload its configuration file
-and update its configuration accordingly by sending it a SIGHUP
-signal. The ovs-appctl utility can also be used to do this:
+Now you may use ovs-vsctl to set up bridges and other Open vSwitch
+features. For example, to create a bridge named br0 and add ports
+eth0 and vif1.0 to it:
- % ovs-appctl vswitchd/reload
+ % ovs-vsctl add-br br0
+ % ovs-vsctl add-port br0 eth0
+ % ovs-vsctl add-port br0 vif1.0
-In the latter case, ovs-appctl will wait for ovs-vswitchd to finish
-reloading before it exits.
+Please refer to ovs-vsctl(8) for more details.
Bug Reporting
-------------
git://git.onelab.eu / sliver-openvswitch.git / blobdiff