+.ST "CA Certificate Bootstrap"
+.PP
+Ordinarily, all of the files named in the SSL configuration must exist
+when \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR starts. However, if the \fIca-cert\fR file
+does not exist and the \fB\-\-bootstrap\fR
+option is given, then \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR will attempt to obtain the
+CA certificate from the controller on its first SSL connection and
+save it to the named PEM file. If it is successful, it will
+immediately drop the connection and reconnect, and from then on all
+SSL connections must be authenticated by a certificate signed by the
+CA certificate thus obtained.
+.PP
+\fBThis option exposes the SSL connection to a man-in-the-middle
+attack obtaining the initial CA certificate\fR, but it may be useful
+for bootstrapping.
+.PP
+This option is only useful if the controller sends its CA certificate
+as part of the SSL certificate chain. The SSL protocol does not
+require the controller to send the CA certificate, but
+\fBovs\-controller\fR(8) can be configured to do so with the
+\fB\-\-peer\-ca\-cert\fR option.
+.
+.SS "Database Commands"
+.
+These commands query and modify the contents of \fBovsdb\fR tables.
+They are a slight abstraction of the \fBovsdb\fR interface and as such
+they operate at a lower level than other \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands.
+.PP
+.ST "Identifying Tables, Records, and Columns"
+.PP
+Each of these commands has a \fItable\fR parameter to identify a table
+within the database. Many of them also take a \fIrecord\fR parameter
+that identifies a particular record within a table. The \fIrecord\fR
+parameter may be the UUID for a record, and many tables offer
+additional ways to identify records. Some commands also take
+\fIcolumn\fR parameters that identify a particular field within the
+records in a table.
+.PP
+The following tables are currently defined:
+.IP "\fBOpen_vSwitch\fR"
+Global configuration for an \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR. This table contains
+exactly one record, identified by specifying \fB.\fR as the record
+name.
+.IP "\fBBridge\fR"
+Configuration for a bridge within an Open vSwitch. Records may be
+identified by bridge name.
+.IP "\fBPort\fR"
+A bridge port. Records may be identified by port name.
+.IP "\fBInterface\fR"
+A network device attached to a port. Records may be identified by
+name.
+.IP "\fBQoS\fR"
+Quality-of-service configuration for a \fBPort\fR. Records may be
+identified by port name.
+.IP "\fBQueue\fR"
+Configuration for one queue within a \fBQoS\fR configuration. Records
+may only be identified by UUID.
+.IP "\fBMirror\fR"
+A port mirroring configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
+identified by mirror name.
+.IP "\fBController\fR"
+Configuration for an OpenFlow controller. A controller attached to a
+particular bridge may be identified by the bridge's name.
+.IP "\fBManager\fR"
+Configuration for an OVSDB connection. Records may be identified
+by target (e.g. \fBtcp:1.2.3.4\fR).
+.IP "\fBNetFlow\fR"
+A NetFlow configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
+identified by bridge name.
+.IP "\fBSSL\fR"
+The global SSL configuration for \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR. The record
+attached to the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table may be identified by
+specifying \fB.\fR as the record name.
+.IP "\fBsFlow\fR"
+An sFlow configuration attached to a bridge. Records may be
+identified by bridge name.
+.PP
+Record names must be specified in full and with correct
+capitalization. Names of tables and columns are not case-sensitive,
+and \fB\-\-\fR and \fB_\fR are treated interchangeably. Unique
+abbreviations are acceptable, e.g. \fBnet\fR or \fBn\fR is sufficient
+to identify the \fBNetFlow\fR table.
+.
+.ST "Database Values"
+.PP
+Each column in the database accepts a fixed type of data. The
+currently defined basic types, and their representations, are:
+.IP "integer"
+A decimal integer in the range \-2**63 to 2**63\-1, inclusive.
+.IP "real"
+A floating-point number.
+.IP "Boolean"
+True or false, written \fBtrue\fR or \fBfalse\fR, respectively.
+.IP "string"
+An arbitrary Unicode string, except that null bytes are not allowed.
+Quotes are optional for most strings that begin with an English letter
+or underscore and consist only of letters, underscores, hyphens, and
+periods. However, \fBtrue\fR and \fBfalse\fR and strings that match
+the syntax of UUIDs (see below) must be enclosed in double quotes to
+distinguish them from other basic types. When double quotes are used,
+the syntax is that of strings in JSON, e.g. backslashes may be used to
+escape special characters. The empty string must be represented as a
+pair of double quotes (\fB""\fR).
+.IP "UUID"
+Either a universally unique identifier in the style of RFC 4122,
+e.g. \fBf81d4fae\-7dec\-11d0\-a765\-00a0c91e6bf6\fR, or an \fB@\fIname\fR
+defined by a \fBget\fR or \fBcreate\fR command within the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
+invocation.
+.PP
+Multiple values in a single column may be separated by spaces or a
+single comma. When multiple values are present, duplicates are not
+allowed, and order is not important. Conversely, some database
+columns can have an empty set of values, represented as \fB[]\fR, and
+square brackets may optionally enclose other non-empty sets or single
+values as well.
+.PP
+A few database columns are ``maps'' of key-value pairs, where the key
+and the value are each some fixed database type. These are specified
+in the form \fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR, where \fIkey\fR and \fIvalue\fR
+follow the syntax for the column's key type and value type,
+respectively. When multiple pairs are present (separated by spaces or
+a comma), duplicate keys are not allowed, and again the order is not
+important. Duplicate values are allowed. An empty map is represented
+as \fB{}\fR, and curly braces may be optionally enclose non-empty maps
+as well.
+.
+.ST "Database Command Syntax"
+.IP "[\fB\-\-columns=\fIcolumn\fR[\fB,\fIcolumn\fR]...] \fBlist \fItable \fR[\fIrecord\fR]..."
+Lists the data in each specified \fIrecord\fR. If no
+records are specified, lists all the records in \fItable\fR.
+.IP
+If \fB\-\-columns\fR is specified, only the requested columns are
+listed, in the specified order. Otherwise, all columns are listed, in
+alphabetical order by column name.
+.
+.IP "[\fB\-\-columns=\fIcolumn\fR[\fB,\fIcolumn\fR]...] \fBfind \fItable \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR]..."
+Lists the data in each record in \fItable\fR whose \fIcolumn\fR equals
+\fIvalue\fR or, if \fIkey\fR is specified, whose \fIcolumn\fR contains
+a \fIkey\fR with the specified \fIvalue\fR. Any of the operators
+\fB!=\fR, \fB<\fR, \fB>\fR, \fB<=\fR, or \fB>=\fR may be substituted
+for \fB=\fR to test for inequality, less than, greater than, less than
+or equal to, or greater than or equal to, respectively. (Don't forget
+to escape \fB<\fR or \fB>\fR from interpretation by the shell.)
+.IP
+If \fB\-\-columns\fR is specified, only the requested columns are
+listed, in the specified order. Otherwise all columns are listed, in
+alphabetical order by column name.
+.IP
+The UUIDs shown for rows created in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
+invocation will be wrong.
+.
+.IP "[\fB\-\-id=@\fIname\fR] [\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBget \fItable record \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]]..."
+Prints the value of each specified \fIcolumn\fR in the given
+\fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. For map columns, a \fIkey\fR may
+optionally be specified, in which case the value associated with
+\fIkey\fR in the column is printed, instead of the entire map.
+.IP
+For a map column, without \fB\-\-if\-exists\fR it is an error if
+\fIkey\fR does not exist; with it, a blank line is printed. If
+\fIcolumn\fR is not a map column or if \fIkey\fR is not specified,
+\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR has no effect.
+.IP
+If \fB@\fIname\fR is specified, then the UUID for \fIrecord\fR may be
+referred to by that name later in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
+invocation in contexts where a UUID is expected.
+.IP
+Both \fB\-\-id\fR and the \fIcolumn\fR arguments are optional, but
+usually at least one or the other should be specified. If both are
+omitted, then \fBget\fR has no effect except to verify that
+\fIrecord\fR exists in \fItable\fR.
+.
+.IP "\fBset \fItable record column\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR..."
+Sets the value of each specified \fIcolumn\fR in the given
+\fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR to \fIvalue\fR. For map columns, a
+\fIkey\fR may optionally be specified, in which case the value
+associated with \fIkey\fR in that column is changed (or added, if none
+exists), instead of the entire map.
+.
+.IP "\fBadd \fItable record column \fR[\fIkey\fB=\fR]\fIvalue\fR..."
+Adds the specified value or key-value pair to \fIcolumn\fR in
+\fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. If \fIcolumn\fR is a map, then \fIkey\fR
+is required, otherwise it is prohibited. If \fIkey\fR already exists
+in a map column, then the current \fIvalue\fR is not replaced (use the
+\fBset\fR command to replace an existing value).
+.
+.IP "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIvalue\fR..."
+.IQ "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIkey\fR..."
+.IQ "\fBremove \fItable record column \fR\fIkey\fB=\fR\fIvalue\fR..."
+Removes the specified values or key-value pairs from \fIcolumn\fR in
+\fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR. The first form applies to columns that
+are not maps: each specified \fIvalue\fR is removed from the column.
+The second and third forms apply to map columns: if only a \fIkey\fR
+is specified, then any key-value pair with the given \fIkey\fR is
+removed, regardless of its value; if a \fIvalue\fR is given then a
+pair is removed only if both key and value match.
+.IP
+It is not an error if the column does not contain the specified key or
+value or pair.
+.
+.IP "\fBclear\fR \fItable record column\fR..."
+Sets each \fIcolumn\fR in \fIrecord\fR in \fItable\fR to the empty set
+or empty map, as appropriate. This command applies only to columns
+that are allowed to be empty.
+.
+.IP "[\fB\-\-id=@\fIname\fR] \fBcreate\fR \fItable column\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR..."
+Creates a new record in \fItable\fR and sets the initial values of
+each \fIcolumn\fR. Columns not explicitly set will receive their
+default values. Outputs the UUID of the new row.
+.IP
+If \fB@\fIname\fR is specified, then the UUID for the new row may be
+referred to by that name elsewhere in the same \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
+invocation in contexts where a UUID is expected. Such references may
+precede or follow the \fBcreate\fR command.
+.IP
+Records in the Open vSwitch database are significant only when they
+can be reached directly or indirectly from the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR
+table. Except for records in the \fBQoS\fR or \fBQueue\fR tables,
+records that are not reachable from the \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table are
+automatically deleted from the database. This deletion happens
+immediately, without waiting for additional \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands
+or other database activity. Thus, a \fBcreate\fR command must
+generally be accompanied by additional commands \fIwithin the same
+\fBovs\-vsctl\fI invocation\fR to add a chain of references to the
+newly created record from the top-level \fBOpen_vSwitch\fR record.
+The \fBEXAMPLES\fR section gives some examples that show how to do
+this.
+.
+.IP "\fR[\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR] \fBdestroy \fItable record\fR..."
+Deletes each specified \fIrecord\fR from \fItable\fR. Unless
+\fB\-\-if\-exists\fR is specified, each \fIrecord\fRs must exist.
+.IP
+The \fBdestroy\fR command is only useful for records in the \fBQoS\fR
+or \fBQueue\fR tables. Records in other tables are automatically
+deleted from the database when they become unreachable from the
+\fBOpen_vSwitch\fR table. This means that deleting the last reference
+to a record is sufficient for deleting the record itself. For records
+in these tables, \fBdestroy\fR is silently ignored. See the
+\fBEXAMPLES\fR section below for more information.
+.
+.IP "\fBwait\-until \fItable record \fR[\fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR]..."
+Waits until \fItable\fR contains a record named \fIrecord\fR whose
+\fIcolumn\fR equals \fIvalue\fR or, if \fIkey\fR is specified, whose
+\fIcolumn\fR contains a \fIkey\fR with the specified \fIvalue\fR. Any
+of the operators \fB!=\fR, \fB<\fR, \fB>\fR, \fB<=\fR, or \fB>=\fR may
+be substituted for \fB=\fR to test for inequality, less than, greater
+than, less than or equal to, or greater than or equal to,
+respectively. (Don't forget to escape \fB<\fR or \fB>\fR from
+interpretation by the shell.)
+.IP
+If no \fIcolumn\fR[\fB:\fIkey\fR]\fB=\fIvalue\fR arguments are given,
+this command waits only until \fIrecord\fR exists. If more than one
+such argument is given, the command waits until all of them are
+satisfied.
+.IP
+Usually \fBwait\-until\fR should be placed at the beginning of a set
+of \fBovs\-vsctl\fR commands. For example, \fBwait\-until bridge br0
+\-\- get bridge br0 datapath_id\fR waits until a bridge named
+\fBbr0\fR is created, then prints its \fBdatapath_id\fR column,
+whereas \fBget bridge br0 datapath_id \-\- wait\-until bridge br0\fR
+will abort if no bridge named \fBbr0\fR exists when \fBovs\-vsctl\fR
+initially connects to the database.
+.IP
+Consider specifying \fB\-\-timeout=0\fR along with
+\fB\-\-wait\-until\fR, to prevent \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from terminating
+after waiting only at most 5 seconds.