1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
3 @setfilename openvswitch.info
4 @settitle Open vSwitch Guide
12 Copyright @copyright{} 2012 Nicira, Inc.
14 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the ``License''); you
15 may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may
16 obtain a copy of the License at
17 @url{http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0}.
19 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
20 distributed under the License is distributed on an ``AS IS'' BASIS,
21 WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or
22 implied. See the License for the specific language governing
23 permissions and limitations under the License.
27 @title Open vSwitch Guide
28 @author Open vSwitch Contributors
31 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
41 This manual is for PROGRAM, version VERSION.
51 Open vSwitch is an Ethernet switch implemented in software. It is
52 well suited to environments that call for basic switching features
53 such as VLANs and bonding. However, Open vSwitch is built as a
54 platform to open up network forwarding to programmatic extension, so
55 it really shines in environments that demand fast, flexible control
58 The most common uses of Open vSwitch today deploy it as a
59 software-based switch, that is, on general-purpose computers without
60 hardware specialized for switching. Within this class of uses, Open
61 vSwitch is most often used on virtual server hosts, to forward traffic
62 among virtual machines and to and from a physical network.
63 Virtualization is not a requirement: Open vSwitch can also forward
64 traffic among physical interfaces in a ``bare metal'' environment.
66 Open vSwitch is designed and internally layered to be amenable for use
67 within special-purpose switch hardware, and a number of network
68 hardware manufacturers have used it for that purpose. This allows
69 Open vSwitch to control high-performance hardware switches as well as
70 software switches, although hardware is inherently less flexible than
73 What platforms? What hypervisors?