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.TH ovs\-vsctl 8 "September 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\&...]
.
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fBovs\-vsctl\fR program configures \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8), mainly
by providing a high\-level interface to editing its configuration file
\fBovs\-vswitchd.conf\fR(5).  This program is mainly intended for use
when \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is running, but it can also be used when
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is not running.  In the latter case configuration
changes will only take effect when \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is started.
.PP
By default, each time \fBovs\-vsctl\fR runs, it examines and,
depending on the requested command, possibly applies changes to an
\fBovs\-vswitchd.conf\fR file.  Then, if it applied any changes and if
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is running, it tells \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR to reload
the modified configuration file and waits for the reload to complete
before exiting.
.
.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\-c \fIfile\fR"
.IQ "\fB\-\-config=\fIfile\fR"
Sets the configuration file that \fBovs\-vsctl\fR reads and possibly
modifies.  The default is \fB@localstatedir@/ovs\-vswitchd.conf\fR.
.IP
If \fIfile\fR is specified as \fB\-\fR, then \fBovs\-vsctl\fR reads
the configuration file from standard input and, for commands that
modify the configuration, writes the new one to standard output.  This
is useful for testing but it should not be used in production because
it bypasses the Open vSwitch configuration file locking protocol.
.
.IP "\fB\-t \fItarget\fR"
.IQ "\fB\-\-target=\fItarget\fR"
Configures how \fBovs\-vsctl\fR contacts \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR to
instruct it to reload its configuration file.  The \fItarget\fR takes
one of two forms:
.RS
.IP \(bu
The name of a Unix domain socket on which \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR is
listening for control channel connections.  By default,
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR listens on a Unix domain socket named
\fB@RUNDIR@/ovs\-vswitchd.\fIpid\fR.ctl\fR, where \fIpid\fR is the
\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR process's process ID.
.IP \(bu
The name of a pidfile, that is, a file whose contents are the process
ID of a running process as a decimal number.  \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR
creates a pidfile if it is invoked with the \fB\-\-pidfile\fR option.
\fBovs\-vsctl\fR reads the pidfile, then looks for a Unix socket named
\fB@RUNDIR@/ovs\-vswitchd.\fIpid\fR.ctl\fR, where \fIpid\fR is
replaced by the process ID read from \fItarget\fR, and uses that file
as if it had been specified directly as the target.
.RE
.IP
If \fItarget\fR does not begin with \fB/\fR, then \fB@RUNDIR@/\fR is
implicitly prefixed to it.
.IP
If neither \fB\-t\fR nor \fB\-\-target\fR is specified, the default target is
\fB@RUNDIR@/ovs\-vswitchd.pid\fR.
.IP "\fB\-\-no\-reload\fR"
Prevents \fBovs\-vsctl\fR from telling \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR to reload
its configuration file.
.
.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.
.
.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 \fIbridge port\fR"
Deletes \fBport\fR from \fIbridge\fR.
.
.IP "\fBport\-to\-br \fIport\fR"
Prints the name of the bridge that contains \fIport\fR on standard
output.
.
.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.
.
.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 ovs\-vswitchd.conf (5),
.BR ovs\-vswitchd (8).