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.TH ovs\-vsctl 8 "November 2009" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
.ds PN ovs\-vsctl
.
.SH NAME
ovs\-vsctl \- utility for querying and configuring \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR
.
.SH SYNOPSIS
\fBovs\-vsctl\fR [\fIoptions\fR] \fIcommand \fR[\fIargs\fR\&...]
[\fB\-\-\fR \fIcommand \fR[\fIargs\fR\&...]]
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR program configures \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8) by
providing a high\-level interface to editing its configuration
database.  This program is mainly intended for use when
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is running.  If it is used when
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is not running, then \fB\-\-no\-wait\fR should be
specified and configuration changes will only take effect when
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is started.
.PP
By default, each time \fBovs\-vsctl\fR runs, it connects to an
\fBovsdb\-server\fR process that maintains an Open vSwitch
configuration database.  Using this connection, it queries and
possibly applies changes to the database, depending on the supplied
commands.  Then, if it applied any changes, it waits until
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR has finished reconfiguring itself before it exits.
.
.SS "Linux VLAN Bridging Compatibility"
The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR program supports the model of a bridge
implemented by Open vSwitch, in which a single bridge supports ports
on multiple VLANs.  In this model, each port on a bridge is either a
trunk port that potentially passes packets tagged with 802.1Q headers
that designate VLANs or it is assigned a single implicit VLAN that is
never tagged with an 802.1Q header.
.PP
For compatibility with software designed for the Linux bridge,
\fBovs\-vsctl\fR also supports a model in which traffic associated
with a given 802.1Q VLAN is segregated into a separate bridge.  A
special form of the \fBadd\-br\fR command (see below) creates a ``fake
bridge'' within an Open vSwitch bridge to simulate this behavior.
When such a ``fake bridge'' is active, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR will treat it
much like a bridge separate from its ``parent bridge,'' but the actual
implementation in Open vSwitch uses only a single bridge, with ports on
the fake bridge assigned the implicit VLAN of the fake bridge of which
they are members.
.
.SH OPTIONS
.
The following options affect the general outline of \fBovs\-vsctl\fR's
activities:
.
.IP "\fB\-\-db=\fIserver\fR"
Sets \fIserver\fR as the database server that \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
contacts to query or modify configuration.  The default is
\fBunix:@RUNDIR@/ovsdb\-server\fR.  \fIserver\fR must take one of the
following forms:
.RS
.IP "\fBtcp:\fIip\fB:\fIport\fR"
Connect to the given TCP \fIport\fR on \fIip\fR.
.IP "\fBunix:\fIfile\fR"
Connect to the Unix domain server socket named \fIfile\fR.
.RE
.IP "\fB\-\-no\-wait\fR"
Prevents \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from waiting for \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR to
reconfigure itself according to the the modified database.  This
option should be used if \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is not running;
otherwise, \fBovs-vsctl\fR will not exit until \fBovs-vswitchd\fR
starts.
.IP
This option has no effect if the commands specified do not change the
database.
.
.IP "\fB\-\-no\-syslog\fR"
By default, \fBovs\-vsctl\fR logs its arguments and the details of any
changes that it makes to the system log.  This option disables this
logging.
.IP
This option is equivalent to \fB\-\-verbose=vvsctl:syslog:warn\fR.
.
.IP "\fB\-\-oneline\fR"
Modifies the output format so that the output for each command is printed
on a single line.  New-line characters that would otherwise separate
lines are printed as \fB\\n\fR, and any instances of \fB\\\fR that
would otherwise appear in the output are doubled.
Prints a blank line for each command that has no output.
.
.so lib/vlog.man
.
.SH COMMANDS
The commands implemented by \fBovs\-vsctl\fR are described in the
sections below.
.
.SS "Bridge Commands"
These commands examine and manipulate Open vSwitch bridges.
.
.IP "\fBadd\-br \fIbridge\fR"
Creates a new bridge named \fIbridge\fR.  Initially the bridge will
have no ports (other than \fIbridge\fR itself).
.
.IP "\fBadd\-br \fIbridge parent vlan\fR"
Creates a ``fake bridge'' named \fIbridge\fR within the existing Open
vSwitch bridge \fIparent\fR, which must already exist and must not
itself be a fake bridge.  The new fake bridge will be on 802.1Q VLAN
\fIvlan\fR, which must be an integer between 1 and 4095.  Initially
\fIbridge\fR will have no ports (other than \fIbridge\fR itself).
.
.IP "\fBdel\-br \fIbridge\fR"
Deletes \fIbridge\fR and all of its ports.  If \fIbridge\fR is a real
bridge, this command also deletes any fake bridges that were created
with \fIbridge\fR as parent, including all of their ports.
.
.IP "\fBlist\-br\fR"
Lists all existing real and fake bridges on standard output, one per
line.
.
.IP "\fBbr\-exists \fIbridge\fR"
Tests whether \fIbridge\fR exists as a real or fake bridge.  If so,
\fBovs\-vsctl\fR exits successfully with exit code 0.  If not,
\fBovs\-vsctl\fR exits unsuccessfully with exit code 2.
.
.IP "\fBbr\-to\-vlan \fIbridge\fR"
If \fIbridge\fR is a fake bridge, prints the bridge's 802.1Q VLAN as a
decimal integer.  If \fIbridge\fR is a real bridge, prints 0.
.
.IP "\fBbr\-to\-parent \fIbridge\fR"
If \fIbridge\fR is a fake bridge, prints the name of its parent
bridge.  If \fIbridge\fR is a real bridge, print \fIbridge\fR.
.
.IP "\fBbr\-set\-external\-id \fIbridge key\fR [\fIvalue\fR]"
Sets or clears an ``external ID'' value on \fIbridge\fR.  These values
are intended to identify entities external to Open vSwitch with which
\fIbridge\fR is associated, e.g. the bridge's identifier in a
virtualization management platform.  The Open vSwitch database schema
specifies well-known \fIkey\fR values, but \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
are otherwise arbitrary strings.
.IP
If \fIvalue\fR is specified, then \fIkey\fR is set to \fIvalue\fR for
\fIbridge\fR, overwriting any previous value.  If \fIvalue\fR is
omitted, then \fIkey\fR is removed from \fIbridge\fR's set of external
IDs (if it was present).
.
.IP "\fBbr\-get\-external\-id \fIbridge\fR [\fIkey\fR]"
Queries the external IDs on \fIbridge\fR.  If \fIkey\fR is specified,
the output is the value for that \fIkey\fR or the empty string if
\fIkey\fR is unset.  If \fIkey\fR is omitted, the output is
\fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, one per line, for each key-value pair.
.
.SS "Port Commands"
.
These commands examine and manipulate Open vSwitch ports.  These
commands treat a bonded port as a single entity.
.
.IP "\fBlist\-ports \fIbridge\fR"
Lists all of the ports within \fIbridge\fR on standard output, one per
line.  The local port \fIbridge\fR is not included in the list.
.
.IP "\fBadd\-port \fIbridge port\fR"
Creates on \fIbridge\fR a new port named \fIport\fR from the network
device of the same name.
.
.IP "\fBadd\-bond \fIbridge port iface\fR\&..."
Creates on \fIbridge\fR a new port named \fIport\fR that bonds
together the network devices given as each \fIiface\fR.  At least two
interfaces must be named.
.
.IP "\fBdel\-port \fR[\fIbridge\fR] \fIport\fR"
Deletes \fIport\fR.  If \fIbridge\fR is omitted, \fIport\fR is removed
from whatever bridge contains it; if \fIbridge\fR is specified, it
must be the real or fake bridge that contains \fIport\fR.
.
.IP "\fBport\-to\-br \fIport\fR"
Prints the name of the bridge that contains \fIport\fR on standard
output.
.
.IP "\fBport\-set\-external\-id \fIport key\fR [\fIvalue\fR]"
Sets or clears an ``external ID'' value on \fIport\fR.  These value
are intended to identify entities external to Open vSwitch with which
\fIport\fR is associated, e.g. the port's identifier in a
virtualization management platform.  The Open vSwitch database schema
specifies well-known \fIkey\fR values, but \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
are otherwise arbitrary strings.
.IP
If \fIvalue\fR is specified, then \fIkey\fR is set to \fIvalue\fR for
\fIport\fR, overwriting any previous value.  If \fIvalue\fR is
omitted, then \fIkey\fR is removed from \fIport\fR's set of external
IDs (if it was present).
.
.IP "\fBbr\-get\-external\-id \fIport\fR [\fIkey\fR]"
Queries the external IDs on \fIport\fR.  If \fIkey\fR is specified,
the output is the value for that \fIkey\fR or the empty string if
\fIkey\fR is unset.  If \fIkey\fR is omitted, the output is
\fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, one per line, for each key-value pair.
.
.SS "Interface Commands"
.
These commands examine the interfaces attached to an Open vSwitch
bridge.  These commands treat a bonded port as a collection of two or
more interfaces, rather than as a single port.
.
.IP "\fBlist\-ifaces \fIbridge\fR"
Lists all of the interfaces within \fIbridge\fR on standard output,
one per line.  The local port \fIbridge\fR is not included in the
list.
.
.IP "\fBiface\-to\-br \fIiface\fR"
Prints the name of the bridge that contains \fIiface\fR on standard
output.
.
.IP "\fBiface\-set\-external\-id \fIiface key\fR [\fIvalue\fR]"
Sets or clears an ``external ID'' value on \fIiface\fR.  These value
are intended to identify entities external to Open vSwitch with which
\fIiface\fR is associated, e.g. the interface's identifier in a
virtualization management platform.  The Open vSwitch database schema
specifies well-known \fIkey\fR values, but \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
are otherwise arbitrary strings.
.IP
If \fIvalue\fR is specified, then \fIkey\fR is set to \fIvalue\fR for
\fIiface\fR, overwriting any previous value.  If \fIvalue\fR is
omitted, then \fIkey\fR is removed from \fIiface\fR's set of external
IDs (if it was present).
.
.IP "\fBbr\-get\-external\-id \fIiface\fR [\fIkey\fR]"
Queries the external IDs on \fIiface\fR.  If \fIkey\fR is specified,
the output is the value for that \fIkey\fR or the empty string if
\fIkey\fR is unset.  If \fIkey\fR is omitted, the output is
\fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, one per line, for each key-value pair.
.
.SH "EXAMPLES"
Create a new bridge named br0 and add port eth0 to it:
.IP
.B "ovs-vsctl add\-br br0"
.br
.B "ovs-vsctl add\-port br0 eth0"
.PP
Alternatively, perform both operations in a single atomic transaction:
.IP 
.B "ovs-vsctl add\-br br0 \-\- add\-port br0 eth0"
.
.SH "EXIT STATUS"
.IP "0"
Successful program execution.
.IP "1"
Usage, syntax, or configuration file error.
.IP "2"
The \fIbridge\fR argument to \fBbr\-exists\fR specified the name of a
bridge that does not exist.
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.
.BR ovsdb\-server (1),
.BR ovs\-vswitchd (8).