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1 | Open vSwitch <http://openvswitch.org> |
2 | ||
3 | What is Open vSwitch? | |
4 | --------------------- | |
5 | ||
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6 | Open vSwitch is a multilayer software switch licensed under the open |
7 | source Apache 2 license. Our goal is to implement a production | |
8 | quality switch platform that supports standard management interfaces | |
d1ae8299 | 9 | (e.g. NetFlow, sFlow(R), RSPAN, ERSPAN, IOS-like CLI), and opens the |
72b06300 | 10 | forwarding functions to programmatic extension and control. |
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11 | |
12 | Open vSwitch is well suited to function as a virtual switch in VM | |
13 | environments. In addition to exposing standard control and visibility | |
14 | interfaces to the virtual networking layer, it was designed to support | |
15 | distribution across multiple physical servers. Open vSwitch supports | |
16 | multiple Linux-based virtualization technologies including | |
17 | Xen/XenServer, KVM, and VirtualBox. | |
18 | ||
19 | The bulk of the code is written in platform-independent C and is | |
20 | easily ported to other environments. The current release of Open | |
21 | vSwitch supports the following features: | |
22 | ||
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23 | * Visibility into inter-VM communication via NetFlow, sFlow, SPAN, |
24 | and RSPAN | |
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25 | * Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunking |
26 | * Per VM policing | |
27 | * NIC bonding with source-MAC load balancing | |
28 | * Kernel-based forwarding | |
29 | * Support for OpenFlow | |
30 | * Compatibility layer for the Linux bridging code | |
064af421 | 31 | |
9884eaad | 32 | The included Linux kernel module supports Linux 2.6.18 and up, with |
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33 | testing focused on 2.6.18 with Centos and Xen patches and version |
34 | 2.6.26 from kernel.org. Open vSwitch also has special support for | |
35 | Citrix XenServer hosts. | |
36 | ||
37 | Open vSwitch can also operate, at a cost in performance, entirely in | |
38 | userspace, without assistance from a kernel module. This userspace | |
39 | implementation should be easier to port than the kernel-based switch. | |
40 | It is considered experimental. | |
4b11d5e8 | 41 | |
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42 | What's here? |
43 | ------------ | |
44 | ||
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45 | The main components of this distribution are: |
46 | ||
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47 | * ovs-vswitchd, a daemon that implements the switch, along with |
48 | a companion Linux kernel module for flow-based switching. | |
064af421 | 49 | |
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50 | * ovsdb-server, a lightweight database server that ovs-vswitchd |
51 | queries to obtain its configuration. | |
52 | ||
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53 | * ovs-brcompatd, a daemon that allows ovs-vswitchd to act as a |
54 | drop-in replacement for the Linux bridge in many environments, | |
55 | along with a companion Linux kernel module to intercept bridge | |
56 | ioctls. | |
064af421 | 57 | |
f30f26be | 58 | * ovs-dpctl, a tool for configuring the switch kernel module. |
064af421 | 59 | |
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60 | * Scripts and specs for building RPMs that allow Open vSwitch |
61 | to be installed on a Citrix XenServer host as a drop-in | |
62 | replacement for its switch, with additional functionality. | |
4b11d5e8 | 63 | |
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64 | * ovs-vsctl, a utility for querying and updating the configuration |
65 | of ovs-vswitchd. | |
66 | ||
67 | * ovs-appctl, a utility that sends commands to running Open | |
68 | vSwitch daemons. | |
064af421 | 69 | |
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70 | * ovsdbmonitor, a GUI tool for remotely viewing OVS databases and |
71 | OpenFlow flow tables. | |
72 | ||
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73 | Open vSwitch also provides an OpenFlow implementation and tools for |
74 | those interested in OpenFlow but not additional Open vSwitch features: | |
064af421 | 75 | |
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76 | * ovs-openflowd, an alternative to ovs-vswitchd that implements a |
77 | simple OpenFlow switch, without the special features provided by | |
78 | ovs-vswitchd. | |
064af421 | 79 | |
f30f26be | 80 | * ovs-controller, a simple OpenFlow controller. |
064af421 | 81 | |
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82 | * ovs-ofctl, a utility for querying and controlling OpenFlow |
83 | switches and controllers. | |
064af421 | 84 | |
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85 | * ovs-pki, a utility for creating and managing the public-key |
86 | infrastructure for OpenFlow switches. | |
064af421 | 87 | |
f30f26be | 88 | * A patch to tcpdump that enables it to parse OpenFlow messages. |
064af421 | 89 | |
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90 | What other documentation is available? |
91 | -------------------------------------- | |
064af421 | 92 | |
4b11d5e8 | 93 | To install Open vSwitch on a regular Linux machine, read INSTALL.Linux. |
064af421 | 94 | |
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95 | To use Open vSwitch as a drop-in replacement for the Linux bridge, |
96 | read INSTALL.bridge. | |
97 | ||
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98 | To build RPMs for installing Open vSwitch on a Citrix XenServer host |
99 | or resource pool, read INSTALL.XenServer. | |
064af421 | 100 | |
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101 | To use Open vSwitch with KVM on Linux, read INSTALL.Linux, then |
102 | INSTALL.KVM. | |
103 | ||
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104 | To install Open vSwitch without using a kernel module, read |
105 | INSTALL.userspace. | |
106 | ||
15b619e2 | 107 | To learn how to set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read INSTALL.SSL. |
064af421 | 108 | |
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109 | Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage. Many |
110 | of the manpages are customized to your configuration as part of the | |
111 | build process, so we recommend building Open vSwitch before reading | |
112 | the manpages. | |
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113 | |
114 | Contact | |
115 | ------- | |
116 | ||
37ea6436 | 117 | bugs@openvswitch.org |
064af421 | 118 | http://openvswitch.org/ |