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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 | |
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9 | and opens the forwarding functions to programmatic extension and |
10 | 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 | * Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunk and access ports |
24 | * NIC bonding with or without LACP on upstream switch | |
9ae7ddc0 | 25 | * NetFlow, sFlow(R), and mirroring for increased visibility |
c9d3af4e | 26 | * QoS (Quality of Service) configuration, plus policing |
a6ae068b | 27 | * GRE, GRE over IPSEC, VXLAN, and LISP tunneling |
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28 | * 802.1ag connectivity fault management |
29 | * OpenFlow 1.0 plus numerous extensions | |
30 | * Transactional configuration database with C and Python bindings | |
c9d3af4e | 31 | * High-performance forwarding using a Linux kernel module |
064af421 | 32 | |
37418c86 | 33 | The included Linux kernel module supports Linux 2.6.32 and up, with |
c9d3af4e | 34 | testing focused on 2.6.32 with Centos and Xen patches. Open vSwitch |
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35 | also has special support for Citrix XenServer and Red Hat Enterprise |
36 | Linux hosts. | |
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37 | |
38 | Open vSwitch can also operate, at a cost in performance, entirely in | |
39 | userspace, without assistance from a kernel module. This userspace | |
40 | implementation should be easier to port than the kernel-based switch. | |
41 | It is considered experimental. | |
4b11d5e8 | 42 | |
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43 | What's here? |
44 | ------------ | |
45 | ||
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46 | The main components of this distribution are: |
47 | ||
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48 | * ovs-vswitchd, a daemon that implements the switch, along with |
49 | a companion Linux kernel module for flow-based switching. | |
064af421 | 50 | |
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51 | * ovsdb-server, a lightweight database server that ovs-vswitchd |
52 | queries to obtain its configuration. | |
53 | ||
f30f26be | 54 | * ovs-dpctl, a tool for configuring the switch kernel module. |
064af421 | 55 | |
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56 | * Scripts and specs for building RPMs for Citrix XenServer and Red |
57 | Hat Enterprise Linux. The XenServer RPMs allow Open vSwitch to | |
58 | be installed on a Citrix XenServer host as a drop-in replacement | |
59 | for its switch, with additional functionality. | |
4b11d5e8 | 60 | |
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61 | * ovs-vsctl, a utility for querying and updating the configuration |
62 | of ovs-vswitchd. | |
63 | ||
64 | * ovs-appctl, a utility that sends commands to running Open | |
65 | vSwitch daemons. | |
064af421 | 66 | |
045b2e5c | 67 | Open vSwitch also provides some tools: |
064af421 | 68 | |
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69 | * ovs-ofctl, a utility for querying and controlling OpenFlow |
70 | switches and controllers. | |
064af421 | 71 | |
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72 | * ovs-pki, a utility for creating and managing the public-key |
73 | infrastructure for OpenFlow switches. | |
064af421 | 74 | |
f30f26be | 75 | * A patch to tcpdump that enables it to parse OpenFlow messages. |
064af421 | 76 | |
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77 | What other documentation is available? |
78 | -------------------------------------- | |
064af421 | 79 | |
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80 | To install Open vSwitch on a regular Linux or FreeBSD host, please |
81 | read INSTALL. For specifics around installation on a specific | |
82 | platform, please see one of these files: | |
064af421 | 83 | |
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84 | - INSTALL.Debian |
85 | - INSTALL.Fedora | |
86 | - INSTALL.RHEL | |
87 | - INSTALL.XenServer | |
c483d489 | 88 | |
6494ea4c | 89 | To use Open vSwitch... |
5fca1acd | 90 | |
6494ea4c | 91 | - ...with KVM on Linux, read INSTALL, read INSTALL.KVM. |
064af421 | 92 | |
6494ea4c | 93 | - ...with Libvirt, read INSTALL.Libvirt. |
c434706a | 94 | |
6494ea4c | 95 | - ...without using a kernel module, read INSTALL.userspace. |
8a984481 | 96 | |
6494ea4c | 97 | For answers to common questions, read FAQ. |
d377243b | 98 | |
15b619e2 | 99 | To learn how to set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read INSTALL.SSL. |
064af421 | 100 | |
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101 | To learn about some advanced features of the Open vSwitch software |
102 | switch, read the tutorial in tutorial/Tutorial. | |
103 | ||
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104 | Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage. Many |
105 | of the manpages are customized to your configuration as part of the | |
106 | build process, so we recommend building Open vSwitch before reading | |
107 | the manpages. | |
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108 | |
109 | Contact | |
110 | ------- | |
111 | ||
37ea6436 | 112 | bugs@openvswitch.org |
064af421 | 113 | http://openvswitch.org/ |