.\" -*- 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]\&...
[\fB--run=\fIcommand\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
.so ovsdb/remote-passive.man
.so ovsdb/remote-active.man
.RE
.
.IP "\fB\-\-run=\fIcommand\fR]"
Ordinarily \fBovsdb\-server\fR runs forever, or until it is told to
exit (see \fBRUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS\fR below).  With this option,
\fBovsdb\-server\fR instead starts a shell subprocess running
\fIcommand\fR.  When the subprocess terminates, \fBovsdb\-server\fR
also exits gracefully.  If the subprocess exits normally with exit
code 0, then \fBovsdb\-server\fR exits with exit code 0 also;
otherwise, it exits with exit code 1.
.IP
This option can be useful where a database server is needed only to
run a single command, e.g.:
.B "ovsdb-server --remote=punix:socket --run='ovsdb-client dump unix:socket Open_vSwitch'"
.SS "Daemon Options"
.so lib/daemon.man
.SS "Logging Options"
.so lib/vlog.man
.so lib/ssl.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.
.SS "OVSDB-SERVER COMMANDS"
These commands are specific to \fBovsdb\-server\fR.
.IP "\fBexit\fR"
Causes \fBovsdb\-server\fR to gracefully terminate.
.so lib/vlog-unixctl.man
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.
.BR ovsdb\-tool (1).