.\" -*- nroff -*-
.TH ovsdb\-server 1 "November 2009" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
.ds PN ovsdb\-server
.
.SH NAME
ovsdb\-server \- Open vSwitch database server
.
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBovsdb\-server\fR
\fIdatabase\fR
[\fB--remote=\fIremote\fR]\&...
.so lib/daemon-syn.man
.so lib/vlog-syn.man
.so lib/common-syn.man
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBovsdb\-server\fR program provides RPC interfaces to an Open
vSwitch database (OVSDB).  It supports JSON-RPC client connections
over active or passive TCP/IP or Unix domain sockets.
.PP
The name of the OVSDB file must be specified on the command line as
\fIdatabase\fR, which must already have been created and initialized
using, for example, \fBovsdb\-tool create\fR.
.
.SH OPTIONS
.
.IP "\fB\-\-remote=\fIremote\fR"
Adds \fIremote\fR as a connection method used by \fBovsdb\-server\fR.
\fIremote\fR must take one of the following forms:
.
.RS
.IP "\fBptcp:\fIport\fR[\fB:\fIip\fR]"
Listens for JSON-RPC connections on the given TCP \fIport\fR.  By
default, \fB\*(PN\fR listens for connections to any local IP address,
but \fIip\fR may be specified to listen only for connections to the
given \fIip\fR.
.
.IP "\fBpunix:\fIfile\fR"
Listens for JSON-RPC connections on the Unix domain server socket
named \fIfile\fR.
.
.IP "\fBtcp:\fIip\fB:\fIport\fR"
Initiates a JSON-RPC connection to the given TCP \fIport\fR on
\fIip\fR and reconnects as necessary.
.
.IP "\fBunix:\fIfile\fR"
Initiates a JSON-RPC connection to the Unix domain server socket named
\fIfile\fR as reconnects as necessary.
.
.IP "\fBdb:\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR"
Reads additional connection methods from \fIcolumn\fR in all of the
rows in \fItable\fR within the \fBovsdb\-server\fR database.  The
\fIcolumn\fR must have type string or set of strings.  The connection
methods in the column must have one of the forms described above.  As
the contents of \fIcolumn\fR changes, \fBovsdb\-server\fR also adds
and drops connection methods accordingly.
.RE
.
.SS "Daemon Options"
.so lib/daemon.man
.SS "Logging Options"
.so lib/vlog.man
.SS "Other Options"
.so lib/common.man
.SH "RUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS"
\fBovs\-appctl\fR(8) can send commands to a running
\fBovsdb\-server\fR process.  The currently supported commands are
described below.
.so lib/vlog-unixctl.man
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.
.BR ovsdb\-tool (1).