1 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
2 <database title="Open vSwitch Configuration Database">
3 <p>A database with this schema holds the configuration for one Open
4 vSwitch daemon. The root of the configuration for the daemon is
5 the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table, which must have exactly one
6 record. Records in other tables are significant only when they
7 can be reached directly or indirectly from the
8 <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table.</p>
10 <table name="Open_vSwitch" title="Open vSwitch configuration.">
11 Configuration for an Open vSwitch daemon. There must be exactly one record
12 in the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table.
14 <group title="Configuration">
15 <column name="bridges">
16 Set of bridges managed by the daemon.
20 SSL used globally by the daemon.
23 <column name="external_ids">
24 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate
25 with Open vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System
26 integrators should either use the Open vSwitch development
27 mailing list to coordinate on common key-value definitions, or
28 choose key names that are likely to be unique. The currently
29 defined common key-value pairs are:
31 <dt><code>system-id</code></dt>
32 <dd>A unique identifier for the Open vSwitch's physical host.
33 The form of the identifier depends on the type of the host.
34 On a Citrix XenServer, this will likely be the same as
35 <code>xs-system-uuid</code>.</dd>
36 <dt><code>xs-system-uuid</code></dt>
37 <dd>The Citrix XenServer universally unique identifier for the
38 physical host as displayed by <code>xe host-list</code>.</dd>
43 <group title="Status">
44 <column name="next_cfg">
45 Sequence number for client to increment. When a client modifies
46 any part of the database configuration and wishes to wait for
47 Open vSwitch to finish applying the changes, it may increment
51 <column name="cur_cfg">
52 Sequence number that Open vSwitch sets to the current value of
53 <ref column="next_cfg"/> after it finishes applying a set of
54 configuration changes.
57 <column name="capabilities">
58 Describes functionality supported by the hardware and software platform
59 on which this Open vSwitch is based. Clients should not modify this
60 column. See the <ref table="Capability"/> description for defined
61 capability categories and the meaning of associated
62 <ref table="Capability"/> records.
65 <column name="statistics">
67 Key-value pairs that report statistics about a system running an Open
68 vSwitch. These are updated periodically (currently, every 5
69 seconds). Key-value pairs that cannot be determined or that do not
70 apply to a platform are omitted.
74 <dt><code>cpu</code></dt>
77 Number of CPU processors, threads, or cores currently online and
78 available to the operating system on which Open vSwitch is
79 running, as an integer. This may be less than the number
80 installed, if some are not online or if they are not available to
84 Open vSwitch userspace processes are not multithreaded, but the
85 Linux kernel-based datapath is.
89 <dt><code>load_average</code></dt>
92 A comma-separated list of three floating-point numbers,
93 representing the system load average over the last 1, 5, and 15
94 minutes, respectively.
98 <dt><code>memory</code></dt>
101 A comma-separated list of integers, each of which represents a
102 quantity of memory in kilobytes that describes the operating
103 system on which Open vSwitch is running. In respective order,
108 <li>Total amount of RAM allocated to the OS.</li>
109 <li>RAM allocated to the OS that is in use.</li>
110 <li>RAM that can be flushed out to disk or otherwise discarded
111 if that space is needed for another purpose. This number is
112 necessarily less than or equal to the previous value.</li>
113 <li>Total disk space allocated for swap.</li>
114 <li>Swap space currently in use.</li>
118 On Linux, all five values can be determined and are included. On
119 other operating systems, only the first two values can be
120 determined, so the list will only have two values.
124 <dt><code>process_</code><var>name</var></dt>
127 One such key-value pair will exist for each running Open vSwitch
128 daemon process, with <var>name</var> replaced by the daemon's
129 name (e.g. <code>process_ovs-vswitchd</code>). The value is a
130 comma-separated list of integers. The integers represent the
131 following, with memory measured in kilobytes and durations in
136 <li>The process's virtual memory size.</li>
137 <li>The process's resident set size.</li>
138 <li>The amount of user and system CPU time consumed by the
140 <li>The number of times that the process has crashed and been
141 automatically restarted by the monitor.</li>
142 <li>The duration since the process was started.</li>
143 <li>The duration for which the process has been running.</li>
147 The interpretation of some of these values depends on whether the
148 process was started with the <option>--monitor</option>. If it
149 was not, then the crash count will always be 0 and the two
150 durations will always be the same. If <option>--monitor</option>
151 was given, then the crash count may be positive; if it is, the
152 latter duration is the amount of time since the most recent crash
157 There will be one key-value pair for each file in Open vSwitch's
158 ``run directory'' (usually <code>/var/run/openvswitch</code>)
159 whose name ends in <code>.pid</code>, whose contents are a
160 process ID, and which is locked by a running process. The
161 <var>name</var> is taken from the pidfile's name.
165 Currently Open vSwitch is only able to obtain all of the above
166 detail on Linux systems. On other systems, the same key-value
167 pairs will be present but the values will always be the empty
172 <dt><code>file_systems</code></dt>
175 A space-separated list of information on local, writable file
176 systems. Each item in the list describes one file system and
177 consists in turn of a comma-separated list of the following:
181 <li>Mount point, e.g. <code>/</code> or <code>/var/log</code>.
182 Any spaces or commas in the mount point are replaced by
184 <li>Total size, in kilobytes, as an integer.</li>
185 <li>Amount of storage in use, in kilobytes, as an integer.</li>
189 This key-value pair is omitted if there are no local, writable
190 file systems or if Open vSwitch cannot obtain the needed
198 <group title="Version Reporting">
200 These columns report the types and versions of the hardware and
201 software running Open vSwitch. We recommend in general that software
202 should test whether specific features are supported instead of relying
203 on version number checks. These values are primarily intended for
204 reporting to human administrators.
207 <column name="ovs_version">
208 The Open vSwitch version number, e.g. <code>1.1.0pre2</code>.
209 If Open vSwitch was configured with a build number, then it is
210 also included, e.g. <code>1.1.0pre2+build4948</code>.
213 <column name="db_version">
215 The database schema version number in the form
216 <code><var>major</var>.<var>minor</var>.<var>tweak</var></code>,
217 e.g. <code>1.2.3</code>. Whenever the database schema is changed in
218 a non-backward compatible way (e.g. deleting a column or a table),
219 <var>major</var> is incremented. When the database schema is changed
220 in a backward compatible way (e.g. adding a new column),
221 <var>minor</var> is incremented. When the database schema is changed
222 cosmetically (e.g. reindenting its syntax), <var>tweak</var> is
227 The schema version is part of the database schema, so it can also be
228 retrieved by fetching the schema using the Open vSwitch database
233 <column name="system_type">
235 An identifier for the type of system on top of which Open vSwitch
236 runs, e.g. <code>XenServer</code> or <code>KVM</code>.
239 System integrators are responsible for choosing and setting an
240 appropriate value for this column.
244 <column name="system_version">
246 The version of the system identified by <ref column="system_type"/>,
247 e.g. <code>5.5.0-24648p</code> on XenServer 5.5.0 build 24648.
250 System integrators are responsible for choosing and setting an
251 appropriate value for this column.
257 <group title="Database Configuration">
259 These columns primarily configure the Open vSwitch database
260 (<code>ovsdb-server</code>), not the Open vSwitch switch
261 (<code>ovs-vswitchd</code>). The OVSDB database also uses the <ref
262 column="ssl"/> settings.
266 The Open vSwitch switch does read the database configuration to
267 determine remote IP addresses to which in-band control should apply.
270 <column name="manager_options">
271 Database clients to which the Open vSwitch database server should
272 connect or to which it should listen, along with options for how these
273 connection should be configured. See the <ref table="Manager"/> table
274 for more information.
277 <column name="managers">
279 Remote database clients to which the Open vSwitch's database server
280 should connect or to which it should listen. Adding an OVSDB target
281 to this set is equivalent to adding it to <ref
282 column="manager_options"/> with all of the default options.
286 Use of this column is deprecated and may be removed sometime in the
287 future. New applications should use and set <ref
288 column="manager_options"/> instead.
294 <table name="Bridge">
296 Configuration for a bridge within an
297 <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/>.
300 A <ref table="Bridge"/> record represents an Ethernet switch with one or
301 more ``ports,'' which are the <ref table="Port"/> records pointed to by
302 the <ref table="Bridge"/>'s <ref column="ports"/> column.
305 <group title="Core Features">
307 Bridge identifier. Should be alphanumeric and no more than about 8
308 bytes long. Must be unique among the names of ports, interfaces, and
312 <column name="ports">
313 Ports included in the bridge.
316 <column name="mirrors">
317 Port mirroring configuration.
320 <column name="netflow">
321 NetFlow configuration.
324 <column name="sflow">
328 <column name="flood_vlans">
329 VLAN IDs of VLANs on which MAC address learning should be disabled, so
330 that packets are flooded instead of being sent to specific ports that
331 are believed to contain packets' destination MACs. This should
332 ordinarily be used to disable MAC learning on VLANs used for mirroring
333 (RSPAN VLANs). It may also be useful for debugging.
337 <group title="OpenFlow Configuration">
338 <column name="controller">
339 OpenFlow controller set. If unset, then no OpenFlow controllers
343 <column name="fail_mode">
344 <p>When a controller is configured, it is, ordinarily, responsible
345 for setting up all flows on the switch. Thus, if the connection to
346 the controller fails, no new network connections can be set up.
347 If the connection to the controller stays down long enough,
348 no packets can pass through the switch at all. This setting
349 determines the switch's response to such a situation. It may be set
350 to one of the following:
352 <dt><code>standalone</code></dt>
353 <dd>If no message is received from the controller for three
354 times the inactivity probe interval
355 (see <ref column="inactivity_probe"/>), then Open vSwitch
356 will take over responsibility for setting up flows. In
357 this mode, Open vSwitch causes the bridge to act like an
358 ordinary MAC-learning switch. Open vSwitch will continue
359 to retry connecting to the controller in the background
360 and, when the connection succeeds, it will discontinue its
361 standalone behavior.</dd>
362 <dt><code>secure</code></dt>
363 <dd>Open vSwitch will not set up flows on its own when the
364 controller connection fails or when no controllers are
365 defined. The bridge will continue to retry connecting to
366 any defined controllers forever.</dd>
369 <p>If this value is unset, the default is implementation-specific.</p>
370 <p>When more than one controller is configured,
371 <ref column="fail_mode"/> is considered only when none of the
372 configured controllers can be contacted.</p>
375 <column name="datapath_id">
376 Reports the OpenFlow datapath ID in use. Exactly 16 hex
377 digits. (Setting this column will have no useful effect. Set
378 <ref column="other_config"/>:<code>other-config</code>
383 <group title="Other Features">
384 <column name="datapath_type">
385 Name of datapath provider. The kernel datapath has
386 type <code>system</code>. The userspace datapath has
387 type <code>netdev</code>.
390 <column name="external_ids">
391 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate
392 with Open vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System
393 integrators should either use the Open vSwitch development
394 mailing list to coordinate on common key-value definitions, or
395 choose key names that are likely to be unique. The currently
396 defined key-value pairs are:
398 <dt><code>bridge-id</code></dt>
399 <dd>A unique identifier of the bridge. On Citrix XenServer this
400 will commonly be the same as <code>xs-network-uuids</code>.</dd>
401 <dt><code>xs-network-uuids</code></dt>
402 <dd>Semicolon-delimited set of universally unique identifier(s) for
403 the network with which this bridge is associated on a Citrix
404 XenServer host. The network identifiers are RFC 4122 UUIDs as
405 displayed by, e.g., <code>xe network-list</code>.</dd>
409 <column name="other_config">
410 Key-value pairs for configuring rarely used bridge
411 features. The currently defined key-value pairs are:
413 <dt><code>datapath-id</code></dt>
415 digits to set the OpenFlow datapath ID to a specific
416 value. May not be all-zero.</dd>
417 <dt><code>disable-in-band</code></dt>
418 <dd>If set to <code>true</code>, disable in-band control on
419 the bridge regardless of controller and manager settings.</dd>
420 <dt><code>hwaddr</code></dt>
421 <dd>An Ethernet address in the form
422 <var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>
423 to set the hardware address of the local port and influence the
425 <dt><code>in-band-queue</code></dt>
427 A queue ID as a nonnegative integer. This sets the OpenFlow queue
428 ID that will be used by flows set up by in-band control on this
429 bridge. If unset, or if the port used by an in-band control flow
430 does not have QoS configured, or if the port does not have a queue
431 with the specified ID, the default queue is used instead.
438 <table name="Port" table="Port or bond configuration.">
439 <p>A port within a <ref table="Bridge"/>.</p>
440 <p>Most commonly, a port has exactly one ``interface,'' pointed to by its
441 <ref column="interfaces"/> column. Such a port logically
442 corresponds to a port on a physical Ethernet switch. A port
443 with more than one interface is a ``bonded port'' (see
444 <ref group="Bonding Configuration"/>).</p>
445 <p>Some properties that one might think as belonging to a port are actually
446 part of the port's <ref table="Interface"/> members.</p>
449 Port name. Should be alphanumeric and no more than about 8
450 bytes long. May be the same as the interface name, for
451 non-bonded ports. Must otherwise be unique among the names of
452 ports, interfaces, and bridges on a host.
455 <column name="interfaces">
456 The port's interfaces. If there is more than one, this is a
460 <group title="VLAN Configuration">
461 <p>A bridge port must be configured for VLANs in one of two
462 mutually exclusive ways:
464 <li>A ``trunk port'' has an empty value for <ref
465 column="tag"/>. Its <ref column="trunks"/> value may be
466 empty or non-empty.</li>
467 <li>An ``implicitly tagged VLAN port'' or ``access port''
468 has an nonempty value for <ref column="tag"/>. Its
469 <ref column="trunks"/> value must be empty.</li>
471 If <ref column="trunks"/> and <ref column="tag"/> are both
472 nonempty, the configuration is ill-formed.
477 If this is an access port (see above), the port's implicitly
478 tagged VLAN. Must be empty if this is a trunk port.
481 Frames arriving on trunk ports will be forwarded to this
482 port only if they are tagged with the given VLAN (or, if
483 <ref column="tag"/> is 0, then if they lack a VLAN header).
484 Frames arriving on other access ports will be forwarded to
485 this port only if they have the same <ref column="tag"/>
486 value. Frames forwarded to this port will not have an
490 When a frame with a 802.1Q header that indicates a nonzero
491 VLAN is received on an access port, it is discarded.
495 <column name="trunks">
497 If this is a trunk port (see above), the 802.1Q VLAN(s) that
498 this port trunks; if it is empty, then the port trunks all
499 VLANs. Must be empty if this is an access port.
502 Frames arriving on trunk ports are dropped if they are not
503 in one of the specified VLANs. For this purpose, packets
504 that have no VLAN header are treated as part of VLAN 0.
509 <group title="Bonding Configuration">
510 <p>A port that has more than one interface is a ``bonded port.'' Bonding
511 allows for load balancing and fail-over. Open vSwitch supports
512 ``source load balancing'' (SLB) and "active backup" bonding. SLB
513 bonding assigns flows to slaves based on source MAC address and output
514 VLAN, with periodic rebalancing as traffic patterns change. Active
515 backup bonding assigns all flows to one slave, failing over to a backup
516 slave when the active slave is disabled. Neither form of bonding
517 require 802.3ad or other special support from the upstream switch to
518 which the slave devices are connected.</p>
520 <p>These columns apply only to bonded ports. Their values are
521 otherwise ignored.</p>
523 <column name="bond_mode">
524 <p>The type of bonding used for a bonded port. Currently supported
525 values are <code>balance-slb</code> and <code>active-backup</code>.
526 Defaults to SLB if unset.</p>
529 <column name="bond_updelay">
530 <p>For a bonded port, the number of milliseconds for which carrier must
531 stay up on an interface before the interface is considered to be up.
532 Specify <code>0</code> to enable the interface immediately.</p>
533 <p>This setting is honored only when at least one bonded interface is
534 already enabled. When no interfaces are enabled, then the first bond
535 interface to come up is enabled immediately.</p>
538 <column name="bond_downdelay">
539 For a bonded port, the number of milliseconds for which carrier must
540 stay down on an interface before the interface is considered to be
541 down. Specify <code>0</code> to disable the interface immediately.
544 <column name="bond_fake_iface">
545 For a bonded port, whether to create a fake internal interface with the
546 name of the port. Use only for compatibility with legacy software that
551 <group title="Other Features">
553 Quality of Service configuration for this port.
557 The MAC address to use for this port for the purpose of choosing the
558 bridge's MAC address. This column does not necessarily reflect the
559 port's actual MAC address, nor will setting it change the port's actual
563 <column name="fake_bridge">
564 Does this port represent a sub-bridge for its tagged VLAN within the
565 Bridge? See ovs-vsctl(8) for more information.
568 <column name="external_ids">
570 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with
571 Open vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators
572 should either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to
573 coordinate on common key-value definitions, or choose key names that
574 are likely to be unique.
577 No key-value pairs native to <ref table="Port"/> are currently
578 defined. For fake bridges (see the <ref column="fake_bridge"/>
579 column), external IDs for the fake bridge are defined here by
580 prefixing a <ref table="Bridge"/> <ref table="Bridge"
581 column="external_ids"/> key with <code>fake-bridge-</code>,
582 e.g. <code>fake-bridge-xs-network-uuids</code>.
586 <column name="other_config">
587 Key-value pairs for configuring rarely used port features. The
588 currently defined key-value pairs are:
590 <dt><code>hwaddr</code></dt>
591 <dd>An Ethernet address in the form
592 <code><var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var></code>.</dd>
593 <dt><code>bond-rebalance-interval</code></dt>
594 <dd>For an SLB bonded port, the number of milliseconds between
595 successive attempts to rebalance the bond, that is, to
596 move source MACs and their flows from one interface on
597 the bond to another in an attempt to keep usage of each
598 interface roughly equal. The default is 10000 (10
599 seconds), and the minimum is 1000 (1 second).</dd>
605 <table name="Interface" title="One physical network device in a Port.">
606 An interface within a <ref table="Port"/>.
608 <group title="Core Features">
610 Interface name. Should be alphanumeric and no more than about 8 bytes
611 long. May be the same as the port name, for non-bonded ports. Must
612 otherwise be unique among the names of ports, interfaces, and bridges
617 <p>Ethernet address to set for this interface. If unset then the
618 default MAC address is used:</p>
620 <li>For the local interface, the default is the lowest-numbered MAC
621 address among the other bridge ports, either the value of the
622 <ref table="Port" column="mac"/> in its <ref table="Port"/> record,
623 if set, or its actual MAC (for bonded ports, the MAC of its slave
624 whose name is first in alphabetical order). Internal ports and
625 bridge ports that are used as port mirroring destinations (see the
626 <ref table="Mirror"/> table) are ignored.</li>
627 <li>For other internal interfaces, the default MAC is randomly
629 <li>External interfaces typically have a MAC address associated with
632 <p>Some interfaces may not have a software-controllable MAC
636 <column name="ofport">
637 <p>OpenFlow port number for this interface. Unlike most columns, this
638 column's value should be set only by Open vSwitch itself. Other
639 clients should set this column to an empty set (the default) when
640 creating an <ref table="Interface"/>.</p>
641 <p>Open vSwitch populates this column when the port number becomes
642 known. If the interface is successfully added,
643 <ref column="ofport"/> will be set to a number between 1 and 65535
644 (generally either in the range 1 to 65279, inclusive, or 65534, the
645 port number for the OpenFlow ``local port''). If the interface
646 cannot be added then Open vSwitch sets this column
651 <group title="System-Specific Details">
653 The interface type, one of:
655 <dt><code>system</code></dt>
656 <dd>An ordinary network device, e.g. <code>eth0</code> on Linux.
657 Sometimes referred to as ``external interfaces'' since they are
658 generally connected to hardware external to that on which the Open
659 vSwitch is running. The empty string is a synonym for
660 <code>system</code>.</dd>
661 <dt><code>internal</code></dt>
662 <dd>A simulated network device that sends and receives traffic. An
663 internal interface whose <ref column="name"/> is the same as its
664 bridge's <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="name"/> is called the
665 ``local interface.'' It does not make sense to bond an internal
666 interface, so the terms ``port'' and ``interface'' are often used
667 imprecisely for internal interfaces.</dd>
668 <dt><code>tap</code></dt>
669 <dd>A TUN/TAP device managed by Open vSwitch.</dd>
670 <dt><code>gre</code></dt>
671 <dd>An Ethernet over RFC 2890 Generic Routing Encapsulation over IPv4
672 tunnel. Each tunnel must be uniquely identified by the
673 combination of <code>remote_ip</code>, <code>local_ip</code>, and
674 <code>in_key</code>. Note that if two ports are defined that are
675 the same except one has an optional identifier and the other does
676 not, the more specific one is matched first. <code>in_key</code>
677 is considered more specific than <code>local_ip</code> if a port
678 defines one and another port defines the other. The following
679 options may be specified in the <ref column="options"/> column:
681 <dt><code>remote_ip</code></dt>
682 <dd>Required. The tunnel endpoint.</dd>
685 <dt><code>local_ip</code></dt>
686 <dd>Optional. The destination IP that received packets must
687 match. Default is to match all addresses.</dd>
690 <dt><code>in_key</code></dt>
691 <dd>Optional. The GRE key that received packets must contain.
692 It may either be a 32-bit number (no key and a key of 0 are
693 treated as equivalent) or the word <code>flow</code>. If
694 <code>flow</code> is specified then any key will be accepted
695 and the key will be placed in the <code>tun_id</code> field
696 for matching in the flow table. The ovs-ofctl manual page
697 contains additional information about matching fields in
698 OpenFlow flows. Default is no key.</dd>
701 <dt><code>out_key</code></dt>
702 <dd>Optional. The GRE key to be set on outgoing packets. It may
703 either be a 32-bit number or the word <code>flow</code>. If
704 <code>flow</code> is specified then the key may be set using
705 the <code>set_tunnel</code> Nicira OpenFlow vendor extension (0
706 is used in the absence of an action). The ovs-ofctl manual
707 page contains additional information about the Nicira OpenFlow
708 vendor extensions. Default is no key.</dd>
711 <dt><code>key</code></dt>
712 <dd>Optional. Shorthand to set <code>in_key</code> and
713 <code>out_key</code> at the same time.</dd>
716 <dt><code>tos</code></dt>
717 <dd>Optional. The value of the ToS bits to be set on the
718 encapsulating packet. It may also be the word
719 <code>inherit</code>, in which case the ToS will be copied from
720 the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6 (otherwise it will be
721 0). Note that the ECN fields are always inherited. Default is
725 <dt><code>ttl</code></dt>
726 <dd>Optional. The TTL to be set on the encapsulating packet.
727 It may also be the word <code>inherit</code>, in which case the
728 TTL will be copied from the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6
729 (otherwise it will be the system default, typically 64).
730 Default is the system default TTL.</dd>
733 <dt><code>csum</code></dt>
734 <dd>Optional. Compute GRE checksums on outgoing packets.
735 Checksums present on incoming packets will be validated
736 regardless of this setting. Note that GRE checksums
737 impose a significant performance penalty as they cover the
738 entire packet. As the contents of the packet is typically
739 covered by L3 and L4 checksums, this additional checksum only
740 adds value for the GRE and encapsulated Ethernet headers.
741 Default is disabled, set to <code>true</code> to enable.</dd>
744 <dt><code>pmtud</code></dt>
745 <dd>Optional. Enable tunnel path MTU discovery. If enabled
746 ``ICMP destination unreachable - fragmentation'' needed
747 messages will be generated for IPv4 packets with the DF bit set
748 and IPv6 packets above the minimum MTU if the packet size
749 exceeds the path MTU minus the size of the tunnel headers. It
750 also forces the encapsulating packet DF bit to be set (it is
751 always set if the inner packet implies path MTU discovery).
752 Note that this option causes behavior that is typically
753 reserved for routers and therefore is not entirely in
754 compliance with the IEEE 802.1D specification for bridges.
755 Default is enabled, set to <code>false</code> to disable.</dd>
758 <dt><code>header_cache</code></dt>
759 <dd>Optional. Enable caching of tunnel headers and the output
760 path. This can lead to a significant performance increase
761 without changing behavior. In general it should not be
762 necessary to adjust this setting. However, the caching can
763 bypass certain components of the IP stack (such as IP tables)
764 and it may be useful to disable it if these features are
765 required or as a debugging measure. Default is enabled, set to
766 <code>false</code> to disable.</dd>
769 <dt><code>ipsec_gre</code></dt>
770 <dd>An Ethernet over RFC 2890 Generic Routing Encapsulation
771 over IPv4 IPsec tunnel. Each tunnel (including those of type
772 <code>gre</code>) must be uniquely identified by the
773 combination of <code>remote_ip</code> and
774 <code>local_ip</code>. Note that if two ports are defined
775 that are the same except one has an optional identifier and
776 the other does not, the more specific one is matched first.
777 An authentication method of <code>peer_cert</code> or
778 <code>psk</code> must be defined. The following options may
779 be specified in the <ref column="options"/> column:
781 <dt><code>remote_ip</code></dt>
782 <dd>Required. The tunnel endpoint.</dd>
785 <dt><code>local_ip</code></dt>
786 <dd>Optional. The destination IP that received packets must
787 match. Default is to match all addresses.</dd>
790 <dt><code>peer_cert</code></dt>
791 <dd>Required for certificate authentication. A string
792 containing the peer's certificate in PEM format.
793 Additionally the host's certificate must be specified
794 with the <code>certificate</code> option.</dd>
797 <dt><code>certificate</code></dt>
798 <dd>Required for certificate authentication. The name of a
799 PEM file containing a certificate that will be presented
800 to the peer during authentication.</dd>
803 <dt><code>private_key</code></dt>
804 <dd>Optional for certificate authentication. The name of
805 a PEM file containing the private key associated with
806 <code>certificate</code>. If <code>certificate</code>
807 contains the private key, this option may be omitted.</dd>
810 <dt><code>psk</code></dt>
811 <dd>Required for pre-shared key authentication. Specifies a
812 pre-shared key for authentication that must be identical on
813 both sides of the tunnel.</dd>
816 <dt><code>in_key</code></dt>
817 <dd>Optional. The GRE key that received packets must contain.
818 It may either be a 32-bit number (no key and a key of 0 are
819 treated as equivalent) or the word <code>flow</code>. If
820 <code>flow</code> is specified then any key will be accepted
821 and the key will be placed in the <code>tun_id</code> field
822 for matching in the flow table. The ovs-ofctl manual page
823 contains additional information about matching fields in
824 OpenFlow flows. Default is no key.</dd>
827 <dt><code>out_key</code></dt>
828 <dd>Optional. The GRE key to be set on outgoing packets. It may
829 either be a 32-bit number or the word <code>flow</code>. If
830 <code>flow</code> is specified then the key may be set using
831 the <code>set_tunnel</code> Nicira OpenFlow vendor extension (0
832 is used in the absence of an action). The ovs-ofctl manual
833 page contains additional information about the Nicira OpenFlow
834 vendor extensions. Default is no key.</dd>
837 <dt><code>key</code></dt>
838 <dd>Optional. Shorthand to set <code>in_key</code> and
839 <code>out_key</code> at the same time.</dd>
842 <dt><code>tos</code></dt>
843 <dd>Optional. The value of the ToS bits to be set on the
844 encapsulating packet. It may also be the word
845 <code>inherit</code>, in which case the ToS will be copied from
846 the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6 (otherwise it will be
847 0). Note that the ECN fields are always inherited. Default is
851 <dt><code>ttl</code></dt>
852 <dd>Optional. The TTL to be set on the encapsulating packet.
853 It may also be the word <code>inherit</code>, in which case the
854 TTL will be copied from the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6
855 (otherwise it will be the system default, typically 64).
856 Default is the system default TTL.</dd>
859 <dt><code>csum</code></dt>
860 <dd>Optional. Compute GRE checksums on outgoing packets.
861 Checksums present on incoming packets will be validated
862 regardless of this setting. Note that GRE checksums
863 impose a significant performance penalty as they cover the
864 entire packet. As the contents of the packet is typically
865 covered by L3 and L4 checksums, this additional checksum only
866 adds value for the GRE and encapsulated Ethernet headers.
867 Default is disabled, set to <code>true</code> to enable.</dd>
870 <dt><code>pmtud</code></dt>
871 <dd>Optional. Enable tunnel path MTU discovery. If enabled
872 ``ICMP destination unreachable - fragmentation'' needed
873 messages will be generated for IPv4 packets with the DF bit set
874 and IPv6 packets above the minimum MTU if the packet size
875 exceeds the path MTU minus the size of the tunnel headers. It
876 also forces the encapsulating packet DF bit to be set (it is
877 always set if the inner packet implies path MTU discovery).
878 Note that this option causes behavior that is typically
879 reserved for routers and therefore is not entirely in
880 compliance with the IEEE 802.1D specification for bridges.
881 Default is enabled, set to <code>false</code> to disable.</dd>
884 <dt><code>capwap</code></dt>
885 <dd>Ethernet tunneling over the UDP transport portion of CAPWAP
886 (RFC 5415). This allows interoperability with certain switches
887 where GRE is not available. Note that only the tunneling component
888 of the protocol is implemented. Due to the non-standard use of
889 CAPWAP, UDP ports 58881 and 58882 are used as the source and
890 destinations ports respectivedly. Each tunnel must be uniquely
891 identified by the combination of <code>remote_ip</code> and
892 <code>local_ip</code>. If two ports are defined that are the same
893 except one includes <code>local_ip</code> and the other does not,
894 the more specific one is matched first. CAPWAP support is not
895 available on all platforms. Currently it is only supported in the
896 Linux kernel module with kernel versions >= 2.6.25. The following
897 options may be specified in the <ref column="options"/> column:
899 <dt><code>remote_ip</code></dt>
900 <dd>Required. The tunnel endpoint.</dd>
903 <dt><code>local_ip</code></dt>
904 <dd>Optional. The destination IP that received packets must
905 match. Default is to match all addresses.</dd>
908 <dt><code>tos</code></dt>
909 <dd>Optional. The value of the ToS bits to be set on the
910 encapsulating packet. It may also be the word
911 <code>inherit</code>, in which case the ToS will be copied from
912 the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6 (otherwise it will be
913 0). Note that the ECN fields are always inherited. Default is
917 <dt><code>ttl</code></dt>
918 <dd>Optional. The TTL to be set on the encapsulating packet.
919 It may also be the word <code>inherit</code>, in which case the
920 TTL will be copied from the inner packet if it is IPv4 or IPv6
921 (otherwise it will be the system default, typically 64).
922 Default is the system default TTL.</dd>
925 <dt><code>pmtud</code></dt>
926 <dd>Optional. Enable tunnel path MTU discovery. If enabled
927 ``ICMP destination unreachable - fragmentation'' needed
928 messages will be generated for IPv4 packets with the DF bit set
929 and IPv6 packets above the minimum MTU if the packet size
930 exceeds the path MTU minus the size of the tunnel headers. It
931 also forces the encapsulating packet DF bit to be set (it is
932 always set if the inner packet implies path MTU discovery).
933 Note that this option causes behavior that is typically
934 reserved for routers and therefore is not entirely in
935 compliance with the IEEE 802.1D specification for bridges.
936 Default is enabled, set to <code>false</code> to disable.</dd>
939 <dt><code>header_cache</code></dt>
940 <dd>Optional. Enable caching of tunnel headers and the output
941 path. This can lead to a significant performance increase
942 without changing behavior. In general it should not be
943 necessary to adjust this setting. However, the caching can
944 bypass certain components of the IP stack (such as IP tables)
945 and it may be useful to disable it if these features are
946 required or as a debugging measure. Default is enabled, set to
947 <code>false</code> to disable.</dd>
950 <dt><code>patch</code></dt>
953 A pair of virtual devices that act as a patch cable. The <ref
954 column="options"/> column must have the following key-value pair:
957 <dt><code>peer</code></dt>
959 The <ref column="name"/> of the <ref table="Interface"/> for
960 the other side of the patch. The named <ref
961 table="Interface"/>'s own <code>peer</code> option must specify
962 this <ref table="Interface"/>'s name. That is, the two patch
963 interfaces must have reversed <ref column="name"/> and
964 <code>peer</code> values.
971 <column name="options">
972 Configuration options whose interpretation varies based on
973 <ref column="type"/>.
976 <column name="status">
978 Key-value pairs that report port status. Supported status
979 values are <code>type</code>-dependent.
981 <p>The currently defined key-value pairs are:</p>
983 <dt><code>source_ip</code></dt>
984 <dd>The source IP address used for an IPv4 tunnel end-point,
985 such as <code>gre</code> or <code>capwap</code>. Not
986 supported by all implementations.</dd>
989 <dt><code>tunnel_egress_iface</code></dt>
990 <dd>Egress interface for tunnels. Currently only relevant for GRE
991 and CAPWAP tunnels. On Linux systems, this column will show
992 the name of the interface which is responsible for routing
993 traffic destined for the configured <code>remote_ip</code>.
994 This could be an internal interface such as a bridge port.</dd>
999 <group title="Ingress Policing">
1001 These settings control ingress policing for packets received on this
1002 interface. On a physical interface, this limits the rate at which
1003 traffic is allowed into the system from the outside; on a virtual
1004 interface (one connected to a virtual machine), this limits the rate at
1005 which the VM is able to transmit.
1008 Policing is a simple form of quality-of-service that simply drops
1009 packets received in excess of the configured rate. Due to its
1010 simplicity, policing is usually less accurate and less effective than
1011 egress QoS (which is configured using the <ref table="QoS"/> and <ref
1012 table="Queue"/> tables).
1015 Policing is currently implemented only on Linux. The Linux
1016 implementation uses a simple ``token bucket'' approach:
1020 The size of the bucket corresponds to <ref
1021 column="ingress_policing_burst"/>. Initially the bucket is full.
1024 Whenever a packet is received, its size (converted to tokens) is
1025 compared to the number of tokens currently in the bucket. If the
1026 required number of tokens are available, they are removed and the
1027 packet is forwarded. Otherwise, the packet is dropped.
1030 Whenever it is not full, the bucket is refilled with tokens at the
1031 rate specified by <ref column="ingress_policing_rate"/>.
1035 Policing interacts badly with some network protocols, and especially
1036 with fragmented IP packets. Suppose that there is enough network
1037 activity to keep the bucket nearly empty all the time. Then this token
1038 bucket algorithm will forward a single packet every so often, with the
1039 period depending on packet size and on the configured rate. All of the
1040 fragments of an IP packets are normally transmitted back-to-back, as a
1041 group. In such a situation, therefore, only one of these fragments
1042 will be forwarded and the rest will be dropped. IP does not provide
1043 any way for the intended recipient to ask for only the remaining
1044 fragments. In such a case there are two likely possibilities for what
1045 will happen next: either all of the fragments will eventually be
1046 retransmitted (as TCP will do), in which case the same problem will
1047 recur, or the sender will not realize that its packet has been dropped
1048 and data will simply be lost (as some UDP-based protocols will do).
1049 Either way, it is possible that no forward progress will ever occur.
1051 <column name="ingress_policing_rate">
1053 Maximum rate for data received on this interface, in kbps. Data
1054 received faster than this rate is dropped. Set to <code>0</code>
1055 (the default) to disable policing.
1059 <column name="ingress_policing_burst">
1060 <p>Maximum burst size for data received on this interface, in kb. The
1061 default burst size if set to <code>0</code> is 1000 kb. This value
1062 has no effect if <ref column="ingress_policing_rate"/>
1063 is <code>0</code>.</p>
1065 Specifying a larger burst size lets the algorithm be more forgiving,
1066 which is important for protocols like TCP that react severely to
1067 dropped packets. The burst size should be at least the size of the
1068 interface's MTU. Specifying a value that is numerically at least as
1069 large as 10% of <ref column="ingress_policing_rate"/> helps TCP come
1070 closer to achieving the full rate.
1075 <group title="Other Features">
1077 <column name="monitor">
1078 Connectivity monitor configuration for this interface.
1081 <column name="external_ids">
1082 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate
1083 with Open vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System
1084 integrators should either use the Open vSwitch development
1085 mailing list to coordinate on common key-value definitions, or
1086 choose key names that are likely to be unique. The currently
1087 defined common key-value pairs are:
1089 <dt><code>attached-mac</code></dt>
1091 The MAC address programmed into the ``virtual hardware'' for this
1092 interface, in the form
1093 <var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>:<var>xx</var>.
1094 For Citrix XenServer, this is the value of the <code>MAC</code>
1095 field in the VIF record for this interface.</dd>
1096 <dt><code>iface-id</code></dt>
1097 <dd>A system-unique identifier for the interface. On XenServer,
1098 this will commonly be the same as <code>xs-vif-uuid</code>.</dd>
1101 Additionally the following key-value pairs specifically
1102 apply to an interface that represents a virtual Ethernet interface
1103 connected to a virtual machine. These key-value pairs should not be
1104 present for other types of interfaces. Keys whose names end
1105 in <code>-uuid</code> have values that uniquely identify the entity
1106 in question. For a Citrix XenServer hypervisor, these values are
1107 UUIDs in RFC 4122 format. Other hypervisors may use other
1110 <p>The currently defined key-value pairs for XenServer are:</p>
1112 <dt><code>xs-vif-uuid</code></dt>
1113 <dd>The virtual interface associated with this interface.</dd>
1114 <dt><code>xs-network-uuid</code></dt>
1115 <dd>The virtual network to which this interface is attached.</dd>
1116 <dt><code>xs-vm-uuid</code></dt>
1117 <dd>The VM to which this interface belongs.</dd>
1121 <column name="other_config">
1122 Key-value pairs for rarely used interface features. Currently,
1123 there are none defined.
1126 <column name="statistics">
1128 Key-value pairs that report interface statistics. The current
1129 implementation updates these counters periodically. In the future,
1130 we plan to, instead, update them when an interface is created, when
1131 they are queried (e.g. using an OVSDB <code>select</code> operation),
1132 and just before an interface is deleted due to virtual interface
1133 hot-unplug or VM shutdown, and perhaps at other times, but not on any
1134 regular periodic basis.</p>
1136 The currently defined key-value pairs are listed below. These are
1137 the same statistics reported by OpenFlow in its <code>struct
1138 ofp_port_stats</code> structure. If an interface does not support a
1139 given statistic, then that pair is omitted.</p>
1142 Successful transmit and receive counters:
1144 <dt><code>rx_packets</code></dt>
1145 <dd>Number of received packets.</dd>
1146 <dt><code>rx_bytes</code></dt>
1147 <dd>Number of received bytes.</dd>
1148 <dt><code>tx_packets</code></dt>
1149 <dd>Number of transmitted packets.</dd>
1150 <dt><code>tx_bytes</code></dt>
1151 <dd>Number of transmitted bytes.</dd>
1157 <dt><code>rx_dropped</code></dt>
1158 <dd>Number of packets dropped by RX.</dd>
1159 <dt><code>rx_frame_err</code></dt>
1160 <dd>Number of frame alignment errors.</dd>
1161 <dt><code>rx_over_err</code></dt>
1162 <dd>Number of packets with RX overrun.</dd>
1163 <dt><code>rx_crc_err</code></dt>
1164 <dd>Number of CRC errors.</dd>
1165 <dt><code>rx_errors</code></dt>
1167 Total number of receive errors, greater than or equal
1168 to the sum of the above.
1175 <dt><code>tx_dropped</code></dt>
1176 <dd>Number of packets dropped by TX.</dd>
1177 <dt><code>collisions</code></dt>
1178 <dd>Number of collisions.</dd>
1179 <dt><code>tx_errors</code></dt>
1181 Total number of transmit errors, greater
1182 than or equal to the sum of the above.
1191 <table name="QoS" title="Quality of Service configuration">
1192 <p>Quality of Service (QoS) configuration for each Port that
1195 <column name="type">
1196 <p>The type of QoS to implement. The <ref table="Open_vSwitch"
1197 column="capabilities"/> column in the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table
1198 identifies the types that a switch actually supports. The currently
1199 defined types are listed below:</p>
1201 <dt><code>linux-htb</code></dt>
1203 Linux ``hierarchy token bucket'' classifier. See tc-htb(8) (also at
1204 <code>http://linux.die.net/man/8/tc-htb</code>) and the HTB manual
1205 (<code>http://luxik.cdi.cz/~devik/qos/htb/manual/userg.htm</code>)
1206 for information on how this classifier works and how to configure it.
1210 <dt><code>linux-hfsc</code></dt>
1212 Linux "Hierarchical Fair Service Curve" classifier.
1213 See <code>http://linux-ip.net/articles/hfsc.en/</code> for
1214 information on how this classifier works.
1219 <column name="queues">
1220 <p>A map from queue numbers to <ref table="Queue"/> records. The
1221 supported range of queue numbers depend on <ref column="type"/>. The
1222 queue numbers are the same as the <code>queue_id</code> used in
1223 OpenFlow in <code>struct ofp_action_enqueue</code> and other
1224 structures. Queue 0 is used by OpenFlow output actions that do not
1225 specify a specific queue.</p>
1228 <column name="other_config">
1229 <p>Key-value pairs for configuring QoS features that depend on
1230 <ref column="type"/>.</p>
1231 <p>The <code>linux-htb</code> and <code>linux-hfsc</code> classes support
1232 the following key-value pairs:</p>
1234 <dt><code>max-rate</code></dt>
1235 <dd>Maximum rate shared by all queued traffic, in bit/s.
1236 Optional. If not specified, for physical interfaces, the
1237 default is the link rate. For other interfaces or if the
1238 link rate cannot be determined, the default is currently 100
1243 <column name="external_ids">
1244 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1245 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1246 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1247 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1248 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1252 <table name="Queue" title="QoS output queue.">
1253 <p>A configuration for a port output queue, used in configuring Quality of
1254 Service (QoS) features. May be referenced by <ref column="queues"
1255 table="QoS"/> column in <ref table="QoS"/> table.</p>
1257 <column name="other_config">
1258 <p>Key-value pairs for configuring the output queue. The supported
1259 key-value pairs and their meanings depend on the <ref column="type"/>
1260 of the <ref column="QoS"/> records that reference this row.</p>
1261 <p>The key-value pairs defined for <ref table="QoS"/> <ref table="QoS"
1262 column="type"/> of <code>min-rate</code> are:</p>
1264 <dt><code>min-rate</code></dt>
1265 <dd>Minimum guaranteed bandwidth, in bit/s. Required. The
1266 floor value is 1500 bytes/s (12,000 bit/s).</dd>
1268 <p>The key-value pairs defined for <ref table="QoS"/> <ref table="QoS"
1269 column="type"/> of <code>linux-htb</code> are:</p>
1271 <dt><code>min-rate</code></dt>
1272 <dd>Minimum guaranteed bandwidth, in bit/s. Required.</dd>
1273 <dt><code>max-rate</code></dt>
1274 <dd>Maximum allowed bandwidth, in bit/s. Optional. If specified, the
1275 queue's rate will not be allowed to exceed the specified value, even
1276 if excess bandwidth is available. If unspecified, defaults to no
1278 <dt><code>burst</code></dt>
1279 <dd>Burst size, in bits. This is the maximum amount of ``credits''
1280 that a queue can accumulate while it is idle. Optional. Details of
1281 the <code>linux-htb</code> implementation require a minimum burst
1282 size, so a too-small <code>burst</code> will be silently
1284 <dt><code>priority</code></dt>
1285 <dd>A nonnegative 32-bit integer. Defaults to 0 if
1286 unspecified. A queue with a smaller <code>priority</code>
1287 will receive all the excess bandwidth that it can use before
1288 a queue with a larger value receives any. Specific priority
1289 values are unimportant; only relative ordering matters.</dd>
1291 <p>The key-value pairs defined for <ref table="QoS"/> <ref table="QoS"
1292 column="type"/> of <code>linux-hfsc</code> are:</p>
1294 <dt><code>min-rate</code></dt>
1295 <dd>Minimum guaranteed bandwidth, in bit/s. Required.</dd>
1296 <dt><code>max-rate</code></dt>
1297 <dd>Maximum allowed bandwidth, in bit/s. Optional. If specified, the
1298 queue's rate will not be allowed to exceed the specified value, even
1299 if excess bandwidth is available. If unspecified, defaults to no
1304 <column name="external_ids">
1305 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1306 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1307 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1308 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1309 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1313 <table name="Monitor" title="Connectivity Monitor configuration">
1315 A <ref table="Monitor"/> attaches to an <ref table="Interface"/> to
1316 implement 802.1ag Connectivity Fault Management (CFM). CFM allows a
1317 group of Maintenance Points (MPs) called a Maintenance Association (MA)
1318 to detect connectivity problems with each other. MPs within a MA should
1319 have complete and exclusive interconnectivity. This is verified by
1320 occasionally broadcasting Continuity Check Messages (CCMs) at a
1321 configurable transmission interval. A <ref table="Monitor"/> is
1322 responsible for collecting data about other MPs in its MA and
1326 <group title="Monitor Configuration">
1327 <column name="mpid">
1328 A Maintenance Point ID (MPID) uniquely identifies each endpoint within
1329 a Maintenance Association (see <ref column="ma_name"/>). The MPID is
1330 used to identify this <ref table="Monitor"/> to other endpoints in the
1334 <column name="remote_mps">
1335 A set of <ref table="Maintenance_Points"/> which this
1336 <ref table="Monitor"/> should have connectivity to. If this
1337 <ref table="Monitor"/> does not have connectivity to any MPs in this
1338 set, or has connectivity to any MPs not in this set, a fault is
1342 <column name="ma_name">
1343 A Maintenance Association (MA) name pairs with a Maintenance Domain
1344 (MD) name to uniquely identify a MA. A MA is a group of endpoints who
1345 have complete and exclusive interconnectivity. Defaults to
1346 <code>ovs</code> if unset.
1349 <column name="md_name">
1350 A Maintenance Domain name pairs with a Maintenance Association name to
1351 uniquely identify a MA. Defaults to <code>ovs</code> if unset.
1354 <column name="interval">
1355 The transmission interval of CCMs in milliseconds. Three missed CCMs
1356 indicate a connectivity fault. Defaults to 1000ms.
1360 <group title="Monitor Status">
1361 <column name="unexpected_remote_mpids">
1362 A set of MPIDs representing MPs to which this <ref table="Monitor"/>
1363 has detected connectivity that are not in the
1364 <ref column="remote_mps"/> set. This <ref table="Monitor"/> should not
1365 have connectivity to any MPs not listed in <ref column="remote_mps"/>.
1366 Thus, if this set is non-empty a fault is indicated.
1369 <column name="unexpected_remote_maids">
1370 A set of MAIDs representing foreign Maintenance Associations (MAs)
1371 which this <ref table="Monitor"/> has detected connectivity to. A
1372 <ref table="Monitor"/> should not have connectivity to a Maintenance
1373 Association other than its own. Thus, if this set is non-empty a fault
1377 <column name="fault">
1378 Indicates a Connectivity Fault caused by a configuration error, a down
1379 remote MP, or unexpected connectivity to a remote MAID or remote MP.
1384 <table name="Maintenance_Point" title="Maintenance Point configuration">
1386 A <ref table="Maintenance_Point"/> represents a MP which a
1387 <ref table="Monitor"/> has or should have connectivity to.
1390 <group title="Maintenance_Point Configuration">
1391 <column name="mpid">
1392 A Maintenance Point ID (MPID) uniquely identifies each endpoint within
1393 a Maintenance Association. All MPs within a MA should have a unique
1398 <group title="Maintenance_Point Status">
1399 <column name="fault">
1400 Indicates a connectivity fault.
1405 <table name="Mirror" title="Port mirroring (SPAN/RSPAN).">
1406 <p>A port mirror within a <ref table="Bridge"/>.</p>
1407 <p>A port mirror configures a bridge to send selected frames to special
1408 ``mirrored'' ports, in addition to their normal destinations. Mirroring
1409 traffic may also be referred to as SPAN or RSPAN, depending on the
1410 mechanism used for delivery.</p>
1412 <column name="name">
1413 Arbitrary identifier for the <ref table="Mirror"/>.
1416 <group title="Selecting Packets for Mirroring">
1417 <column name="select_all">
1418 If true, every packet arriving or departing on any port is
1419 selected for mirroring.
1422 <column name="select_dst_port">
1423 Ports on which departing packets are selected for mirroring.
1426 <column name="select_src_port">
1427 Ports on which arriving packets are selected for mirroring.
1430 <column name="select_vlan">
1431 VLANs on which packets are selected for mirroring. An empty set
1432 selects packets on all VLANs.
1436 <group title="Mirroring Destination Configuration">
1437 <column name="output_port">
1438 <p>Output port for selected packets, if nonempty. Mutually exclusive
1439 with <ref column="output_vlan"/>.</p>
1440 <p>Specifying a port for mirror output reserves that port exclusively
1441 for mirroring. No frames other than those selected for mirroring
1442 will be forwarded to the port, and any frames received on the port
1443 will be discarded.</p>
1444 <p>This type of mirroring is sometimes called SPAN.</p>
1447 <column name="output_vlan">
1448 <p>Output VLAN for selected packets, if nonempty. Mutually exclusive
1449 with <ref column="output_port"/>.</p>
1450 <p>The frames will be sent out all ports that trunk
1451 <ref column="output_vlan"/>, as well as any ports with implicit VLAN
1452 <ref column="output_vlan"/>. When a mirrored frame is sent out a
1453 trunk port, the frame's VLAN tag will be set to
1454 <ref column="output_vlan"/>, replacing any existing tag; when it is
1455 sent out an implicit VLAN port, the frame will not be tagged. This
1456 type of mirroring is sometimes called RSPAN.</p>
1457 <p><em>Please note:</em> Mirroring to a VLAN can disrupt a network that
1458 contains unmanaged switches. Consider an unmanaged physical switch
1459 with two ports: port 1, connected to an end host, and port 2,
1460 connected to an Open vSwitch configured to mirror received packets
1461 into VLAN 123 on port 2. Suppose that the end host sends a packet on
1462 port 1 that the physical switch forwards to port 2. The Open vSwitch
1463 forwards this packet to its destination and then reflects it back on
1464 port 2 in VLAN 123. This reflected packet causes the unmanaged
1465 physical switch to replace the MAC learning table entry, which
1466 correctly pointed to port 1, with one that incorrectly points to port
1467 2. Afterward, the physical switch will direct packets destined for
1468 the end host to the Open vSwitch on port 2, instead of to the end
1469 host on port 1, disrupting connectivity. If mirroring to a VLAN is
1470 desired in this scenario, then the physical switch must be replaced
1471 by one that learns Ethernet addresses on a per-VLAN basis. In
1472 addition, learning should be disabled on the VLAN containing mirrored
1473 traffic. If this is not done then intermediate switches will learn
1474 the MAC address of each end host from the mirrored traffic. If
1475 packets being sent to that end host are also mirrored, then they will
1476 be dropped since the switch will attempt to send them out the input
1477 port. Disabling learning for the VLAN will cause the switch to
1478 correctly send the packet out all ports configured for that VLAN. If
1479 Open vSwitch is being used as an intermediate switch, learning can be
1480 disabled by adding the mirrored VLAN to <ref column="flood_vlans"/>
1481 in the appropriate <ref table="Bridge"/> table or tables.</p>
1485 <group title="Other Features">
1486 <column name="external_ids">
1487 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1488 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1489 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1490 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1491 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1496 <table name="Controller" title="OpenFlow controller configuration.">
1497 <p>An OpenFlow controller.</p>
1500 Open vSwitch supports two kinds of OpenFlow controllers:
1504 <dt>Primary controllers</dt>
1507 This is the kind of controller envisioned by the OpenFlow 1.0
1508 specification. Usually, a primary controller implements a network
1509 policy by taking charge of the switch's flow table.
1513 Open vSwitch initiates and maintains persistent connections to
1514 primary controllers, retrying the connection each time it fails or
1515 drops. The <ref table="Bridge" column="fail_mode"/> column in the
1516 <ref table="Bridge"/> table applies to primary controllers.
1520 Open vSwitch permits a bridge to have any number of primary
1521 controllers. When multiple controllers are configured, Open
1522 vSwitch connects to all of them simultaneously. Because
1523 OpenFlow 1.0 does not specify how multiple controllers
1524 coordinate in interacting with a single switch, more than
1525 one primary controller should be specified only if the
1526 controllers are themselves designed to coordinate with each
1527 other. (The Nicira-defined <code>NXT_ROLE</code> OpenFlow
1528 vendor extension may be useful for this.)
1531 <dt>Service controllers</dt>
1534 These kinds of OpenFlow controller connections are intended for
1535 occasional support and maintenance use, e.g. with
1536 <code>ovs-ofctl</code>. Usually a service controller connects only
1537 briefly to inspect or modify some of a switch's state.
1541 Open vSwitch listens for incoming connections from service
1542 controllers. The service controllers initiate and, if necessary,
1543 maintain the connections from their end. The <ref table="Bridge"
1544 column="fail_mode"/> column in the <ref table="Bridge"/> table does
1545 not apply to service controllers.
1549 Open vSwitch supports configuring any number of service controllers.
1555 The <ref column="target"/> determines the type of controller.
1558 <group title="Core Features">
1559 <column name="target">
1560 <p>Connection method for controller.</p>
1562 The following connection methods are currently supported for primary
1566 <dt><code>ssl:<var>ip</var></code>[<code>:<var>port</var></code>]</dt>
1568 <p>The specified SSL <var>port</var> (default: 6633) on the host at
1569 the given <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an IP address
1570 (not a DNS name). The <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="ssl"/>
1571 column in the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table must point to a
1572 valid SSL configuration when this form is used.</p>
1573 <p>SSL support is an optional feature that is not always built as
1574 part of Open vSwitch.</p>
1576 <dt><code>tcp:<var>ip</var></code>[<code>:<var>port</var></code>]</dt>
1577 <dd>The specified TCP <var>port</var> (default: 6633) on the host at
1578 the given <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an IP address
1579 (not a DNS name).</dd>
1580 <dt><code>discover</code></dt>
1582 <p>Enables controller discovery.</p>
1583 <p>In controller discovery mode, Open vSwitch broadcasts a DHCP
1584 request with vendor class identifier <code>OpenFlow</code> across
1585 all of the bridge's network devices. It will accept any valid
1586 DHCP reply that has the same vendor class identifier and includes
1587 a vendor-specific option with code 1 whose contents are a string
1588 specifying the location of the controller in the same format as
1589 <ref column="target"/>.</p>
1590 <p>The DHCP reply may also, optionally, include a vendor-specific
1591 option with code 2 whose contents are a string specifying the URI
1592 to the base of the OpenFlow PKI
1593 (e.g. <code>http://192.168.0.1/openflow/pki</code>). This URI is
1594 used only for bootstrapping the OpenFlow PKI at initial switch
1595 setup; <code>ovs-vswitchd</code> does not use it at all.</p>
1599 The following connection methods are currently supported for service
1603 <dt><code>pssl:</code>[<var>port</var>][<code>:<var>ip</var></code>]</dt>
1606 Listens for SSL connections on the specified TCP <var>port</var>
1607 (default: 6633). If <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an
1608 IP address (not a DNS name), is specified, then connections are
1609 restricted to the specified local IP address.
1612 The <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="ssl"/> column in the <ref
1613 table="Open_vSwitch"/> table must point to a valid SSL
1614 configuration when this form is used.
1616 <p>SSL support is an optional feature that is not always built as
1617 part of Open vSwitch.</p>
1619 <dt><code>ptcp:</code>[<var>port</var>][<code>:<var>ip</var></code>]</dt>
1621 Listens for connections on the specified TCP <var>port</var>
1622 (default: 6633). If <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an
1623 IP address (not a DNS name), is specified, then connections are
1624 restricted to the specified local IP address.
1627 <p>When multiple controllers are configured for a single bridge, the
1628 <ref column="target"/> values must be unique. Duplicate
1629 <ref column="target"/> values yield unspecified results.</p>
1632 <column name="connection_mode">
1633 <p>If it is specified, this setting must be one of the following
1634 strings that describes how Open vSwitch contacts this OpenFlow
1635 controller over the network:</p>
1638 <dt><code>in-band</code></dt>
1639 <dd>In this mode, this controller's OpenFlow traffic travels over the
1640 bridge associated with the controller. With this setting, Open
1641 vSwitch allows traffic to and from the controller regardless of the
1642 contents of the OpenFlow flow table. (Otherwise, Open vSwitch
1643 would never be able to connect to the controller, because it did
1644 not have a flow to enable it.) This is the most common connection
1645 mode because it is not necessary to maintain two independent
1647 <dt><code>out-of-band</code></dt>
1648 <dd>In this mode, OpenFlow traffic uses a control network separate
1649 from the bridge associated with this controller, that is, the
1650 bridge does not use any of its own network devices to communicate
1651 with the controller. The control network must be configured
1652 separately, before or after <code>ovs-vswitchd</code> is started.
1656 <p>If not specified, the default is implementation-specific. If
1657 <ref column="target"/> is <code>discover</code>, the connection mode
1658 is always treated as <code>in-band</code> regardless of the actual
1663 <group title="Controller Failure Detection and Handling">
1664 <column name="max_backoff">
1665 Maximum number of milliseconds to wait between connection attempts.
1666 Default is implementation-specific.
1669 <column name="inactivity_probe">
1670 Maximum number of milliseconds of idle time on connection to
1671 controller before sending an inactivity probe message. If Open
1672 vSwitch does not communicate with the controller for the specified
1673 number of seconds, it will send a probe. If a response is not
1674 received for the same additional amount of time, Open vSwitch
1675 assumes the connection has been broken and attempts to reconnect.
1676 Default is implementation-specific.
1680 <group title="OpenFlow Rate Limiting">
1681 <column name="controller_rate_limit">
1682 <p>The maximum rate at which packets in unknown flows will be
1683 forwarded to the OpenFlow controller, in packets per second. This
1684 feature prevents a single bridge from overwhelming the controller.
1685 If not specified, the default is implementation-specific.</p>
1686 <p>In addition, when a high rate triggers rate-limiting, Open
1687 vSwitch queues controller packets for each port and transmits
1688 them to the controller at the configured rate. The number of
1689 queued packets is limited by
1690 the <ref column="controller_burst_limit"/> value. The packet
1691 queue is shared fairly among the ports on a bridge.</p><p>Open
1692 vSwitch maintains two such packet rate-limiters per bridge.
1693 One of these applies to packets sent up to the controller
1694 because they do not correspond to any flow. The other applies
1695 to packets sent up to the controller by request through flow
1696 actions. When both rate-limiters are filled with packets, the
1697 actual rate that packets are sent to the controller is up to
1698 twice the specified rate.</p>
1701 <column name="controller_burst_limit">
1702 In conjunction with <ref column="controller_rate_limit"/>,
1703 the maximum number of unused packet credits that the bridge will
1704 allow to accumulate, in packets. If not specified, the default
1705 is implementation-specific.
1709 <group title="Additional Discovery Configuration">
1710 <p>These values are considered only when <ref column="target"/>
1711 is <code>discover</code>.</p>
1713 <column name="discover_accept_regex">
1715 extended regular expression against which the discovered controller
1716 location is validated. The regular expression is implicitly
1717 anchored at the beginning of the controller location string, as
1718 if it begins with <code>^</code>. If not specified, the default
1719 is implementation-specific.
1722 <column name="discover_update_resolv_conf">
1723 Whether to update <code>/etc/resolv.conf</code> when the
1724 controller is discovered. If not specified, the default
1725 is implementation-specific. Open vSwitch will only modify
1726 <code>/etc/resolv.conf</code> if the DHCP response that it receives
1727 specifies one or more DNS servers.
1731 <group title="Additional In-Band Configuration">
1732 <p>These values are considered only in in-band control mode (see
1733 <ref column="connection_mode"/>) and only when <ref column="target"/>
1734 is not <code>discover</code>. (For controller discovery, the network
1735 configuration obtained via DHCP is used instead.)</p>
1737 <p>When multiple controllers are configured on a single bridge, there
1738 should be only one set of unique values in these columns. If different
1739 values are set for these columns in different controllers, the effect
1742 <column name="local_ip">
1743 The IP address to configure on the local port,
1744 e.g. <code>192.168.0.123</code>. If this value is unset, then
1745 <ref column="local_netmask"/> and <ref column="local_gateway"/> are
1749 <column name="local_netmask">
1750 The IP netmask to configure on the local port,
1751 e.g. <code>255.255.255.0</code>. If <ref column="local_ip"/> is set
1752 but this value is unset, then the default is chosen based on whether
1753 the IP address is class A, B, or C.
1756 <column name="local_gateway">
1757 The IP address of the gateway to configure on the local port, as a
1758 string, e.g. <code>192.168.0.1</code>. Leave this column unset if
1759 this network has no gateway.
1763 <group title="Other Features">
1764 <column name="external_ids">
1765 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1766 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1767 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1768 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1769 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1774 <table name="Manager" title="OVSDB management connection.">
1776 Configuration for a database connection to an Open vSwitch database
1781 This table primarily configures the Open vSwitch database
1782 (<code>ovsdb-server</code>), not the Open vSwitch switch
1783 (<code>ovs-vswitchd</code>). The switch does read the table to determine
1784 what connections should be treated as in-band.
1788 The Open vSwitch database server can initiate and maintain active
1789 connections to remote clients. It can also listen for database
1793 <group title="Core Features">
1794 <column name="target">
1795 <p>Connection method for managers.</p>
1797 The following connection methods are currently supported:
1800 <dt><code>ssl:<var>ip</var></code>[<code>:<var>port</var></code>]</dt>
1803 The specified SSL <var>port</var> (default: 6632) on the host at
1804 the given <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an IP address
1805 (not a DNS name). The <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="ssl"/>
1806 column in the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table must point to a
1807 valid SSL configuration when this form is used.
1810 SSL support is an optional feature that is not always built as
1811 part of Open vSwitch.
1815 <dt><code>tcp:<var>ip</var></code>[<code>:<var>port</var></code>]</dt>
1817 The specified TCP <var>port</var> (default: 6632) on the host at
1818 the given <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an IP address
1821 <dt><code>pssl:</code>[<var>port</var>][<code>:<var>ip</var></code>]</dt>
1824 Listens for SSL connections on the specified TCP <var>port</var>
1825 (default: 6632). If <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an
1826 IP address (not a DNS name), is specified, then connections are
1827 restricted to the specified local IP address.
1830 The <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="ssl"/> column in the <ref
1831 table="Open_vSwitch"/> table must point to a valid SSL
1832 configuration when this form is used.
1835 SSL support is an optional feature that is not always built as
1836 part of Open vSwitch.
1839 <dt><code>ptcp:</code>[<var>port</var>][<code>:<var>ip</var></code>]</dt>
1841 Listens for connections on the specified TCP <var>port</var>
1842 (default: 6632). If <var>ip</var>, which must be expressed as an
1843 IP address (not a DNS name), is specified, then connections are
1844 restricted to the specified local IP address.
1847 <p>When multiple managers are configured, the <ref column="target"/>
1848 values must be unique. Duplicate <ref column="target"/> values yield
1849 unspecified results.</p>
1852 <column name="connection_mode">
1854 If it is specified, this setting must be one of the following strings
1855 that describes how Open vSwitch contacts this OVSDB client over the
1860 <dt><code>in-band</code></dt>
1862 In this mode, this connection's traffic travels over a bridge
1863 managed by Open vSwitch. With this setting, Open vSwitch allows
1864 traffic to and from the client regardless of the contents of the
1865 OpenFlow flow table. (Otherwise, Open vSwitch would never be able
1866 to connect to the client, because it did not have a flow to enable
1867 it.) This is the most common connection mode because it is not
1868 necessary to maintain two independent networks.
1870 <dt><code>out-of-band</code></dt>
1872 In this mode, the client's traffic uses a control network separate
1873 from that managed by Open vSwitch, that is, Open vSwitch does not
1874 use any of its own network devices to communicate with the client.
1875 The control network must be configured separately, before or after
1876 <code>ovs-vswitchd</code> is started.
1881 If not specified, the default is implementation-specific.
1886 <group title="Client Failure Detection and Handling">
1887 <column name="max_backoff">
1888 Maximum number of milliseconds to wait between connection attempts.
1889 Default is implementation-specific.
1892 <column name="inactivity_probe">
1893 Maximum number of milliseconds of idle time on connection to the client
1894 before sending an inactivity probe message. If Open vSwitch does not
1895 communicate with the client for the specified number of seconds, it
1896 will send a probe. If a response is not received for the same
1897 additional amount of time, Open vSwitch assumes the connection has been
1898 broken and attempts to reconnect. Default is implementation-specific.
1902 <group title="Other Features">
1903 <column name="external_ids">
1904 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1905 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1906 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1907 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1908 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1913 <table name="NetFlow">
1914 A NetFlow target. NetFlow is a protocol that exports a number of
1915 details about terminating IP flows, such as the principals involved
1918 <column name="targets">
1919 NetFlow targets in the form
1920 <code><var>ip</var>:<var>port</var></code>. The <var>ip</var>
1921 must be specified numerically, not as a DNS name.
1924 <column name="engine_id">
1925 Engine ID to use in NetFlow messages. Defaults to datapath index
1929 <column name="engine_type">
1930 Engine type to use in NetFlow messages. Defaults to datapath
1931 index if not specified.
1934 <column name="active_timeout">
1935 The interval at which NetFlow records are sent for flows that are
1936 still active, in seconds. A value of <code>0</code> requests the
1937 default timeout (currently 600 seconds); a value of <code>-1</code>
1938 disables active timeouts.
1941 <column name="add_id_to_interface">
1942 <p>If this column's value is <code>false</code>, the ingress and egress
1943 interface fields of NetFlow flow records are derived from OpenFlow port
1944 numbers. When it is <code>true</code>, the 7 most significant bits of
1945 these fields will be replaced by the least significant 7 bits of the
1946 engine id. This is useful because many NetFlow collectors do not
1947 expect multiple switches to be sending messages from the same host, so
1948 they do not store the engine information which could be used to
1949 disambiguate the traffic.</p>
1950 <p>When this option is enabled, a maximum of 508 ports are supported.</p>
1953 <column name="external_ids">
1954 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1955 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1956 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1957 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1958 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
1963 SSL configuration for an Open_vSwitch.
1965 <column name="private_key">
1966 Name of a PEM file containing the private key used as the switch's
1967 identity for SSL connections to the controller.
1970 <column name="certificate">
1971 Name of a PEM file containing a certificate, signed by the
1972 certificate authority (CA) used by the controller and manager,
1973 that certifies the switch's private key, identifying a trustworthy
1977 <column name="ca_cert">
1978 Name of a PEM file containing the CA certificate used to verify
1979 that the switch is connected to a trustworthy controller.
1982 <column name="bootstrap_ca_cert">
1983 If set to <code>true</code>, then Open vSwitch will attempt to
1984 obtain the CA certificate from the controller on its first SSL
1985 connection and save it to the named PEM file. If it is successful,
1986 it will immediately drop the connection and reconnect, and from then
1987 on all SSL connections must be authenticated by a certificate signed
1988 by the CA certificate thus obtained. <em>This option exposes the
1989 SSL connection to a man-in-the-middle attack obtaining the initial
1990 CA certificate.</em> It may still be useful for bootstrapping.
1993 <column name="external_ids">
1994 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
1995 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
1996 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
1997 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
1998 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
2002 <table name="sFlow">
2003 <p>An sFlow(R) target. sFlow is a protocol for remote monitoring
2006 <column name="agent">
2007 Name of the network device whose IP address should be reported as the
2008 ``agent address'' to collectors. If not specified, the IP address
2009 defaults to the <ref table="Controller" column="local_ip"/> in the
2010 collector's <ref table="Controller"/>. If an agent IP address cannot be
2011 determined either way, sFlow is disabled.
2014 <column name="header">
2015 Number of bytes of a sampled packet to send to the collector.
2016 If not specified, the default is 128 bytes.
2019 <column name="polling">
2020 Polling rate in seconds to send port statistics to the collector.
2021 If not specified, defaults to 30 seconds.
2024 <column name="sampling">
2025 Rate at which packets should be sampled and sent to the collector.
2026 If not specified, defaults to 400, which means one out of 400
2027 packets, on average, will be sent to the collector.
2030 <column name="targets">
2031 sFlow targets in the form
2032 <code><var>ip</var>:<var>port</var></code>.
2035 <column name="external_ids">
2036 Key-value pairs for use by external frameworks that integrate with Open
2037 vSwitch, rather than by Open vSwitch itself. System integrators should
2038 either use the Open vSwitch development mailing list to coordinate on
2039 common key-value definitions, or choose key names that are likely to be
2040 unique. No common key-value pairs are currently defined.
2044 <table name="Capability">
2045 <p>Records in this table describe functionality supported by the hardware
2046 and software platform on which this Open vSwitch is based. Clients
2047 should not modify this table.</p>
2049 <p>A record in this table is meaningful only if it is referenced by the
2050 <ref table="Open_vSwitch" column="capabilities"/> column in the
2051 <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table. The key used to reference it, called
2052 the record's ``category,'' determines the meanings of the
2053 <ref column="details"/> column. The following general forms of
2054 categories are currently defined:</p>
2057 <dt><code>qos-<var>type</var></code></dt>
2058 <dd><var>type</var> is supported as the value for
2059 <ref column="type" table="QoS"/> in the <ref table="QoS"/> table.
2063 <column name="details">
2064 <p>Key-value pairs that describe capabilities. The meaning of the pairs
2065 depends on the category key that the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"
2066 column="capabilities"/> column in the <ref table="Open_vSwitch"/> table
2067 uses to reference this record, as described above.</p>
2069 <p>The presence of a record for category <code>qos-<var>type</var></code>
2070 indicates that the switch supports <var>type</var> as the value of
2071 the <ref table="QoS" column="type"/> column in the <ref table="QoS"/>
2072 table. The following key-value pairs are defined to further describe
2073 QoS capabilities:</p>
2076 <dt><code>n-queues</code></dt>
2077 <dd>Number of supported queues, as a positive integer. Keys in the
2078 <ref table="QoS" column="queues"/> column for <ref table="QoS"/>
2079 records whose <ref table="QoS" column="type"/> value
2080 equals <var>type</var> must range between 0 and this value minus one,