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1 | # Open vSwitch |
2 | ||
3 | Build Status: | |
4 | ------------- | |
5 | ||
6 | [![Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/openvswitch/ovs.png)](https://travis-ci.org/openvswitch/ovs) | |
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7 | |
8 | What is Open vSwitch? | |
9 | --------------------- | |
10 | ||
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11 | Open vSwitch is a multilayer software switch licensed under the open |
12 | source Apache 2 license. Our goal is to implement a production | |
13 | quality switch platform that supports standard management interfaces | |
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14 | and opens the forwarding functions to programmatic extension and |
15 | control. | |
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16 | |
17 | Open vSwitch is well suited to function as a virtual switch in VM | |
18 | environments. In addition to exposing standard control and visibility | |
19 | interfaces to the virtual networking layer, it was designed to support | |
20 | distribution across multiple physical servers. Open vSwitch supports | |
21 | multiple Linux-based virtualization technologies including | |
22 | Xen/XenServer, KVM, and VirtualBox. | |
23 | ||
24 | The bulk of the code is written in platform-independent C and is | |
25 | easily ported to other environments. The current release of Open | |
26 | vSwitch supports the following features: | |
27 | ||
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28 | * Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunk and access ports |
29 | * NIC bonding with or without LACP on upstream switch | |
30 | * NetFlow, sFlow(R), and mirroring for increased visibility | |
31 | * QoS (Quality of Service) configuration, plus policing | |
32 | * Geneve, GRE, GRE over IPSEC, VXLAN, and LISP tunneling | |
33 | * 802.1ag connectivity fault management | |
34 | * OpenFlow 1.0 plus numerous extensions | |
35 | * Transactional configuration database with C and Python bindings | |
36 | * High-performance forwarding using a Linux kernel module | |
064af421 | 37 | |
37418c86 | 38 | The included Linux kernel module supports Linux 2.6.32 and up, with |
c9d3af4e | 39 | testing focused on 2.6.32 with Centos and Xen patches. Open vSwitch |
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40 | also has special support for Citrix XenServer and Red Hat Enterprise |
41 | Linux hosts. | |
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42 | |
43 | Open vSwitch can also operate, at a cost in performance, entirely in | |
44 | userspace, without assistance from a kernel module. This userspace | |
45 | implementation should be easier to port than the kernel-based switch. | |
46 | It is considered experimental. | |
4b11d5e8 | 47 | |
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48 | What's here? |
49 | ------------ | |
50 | ||
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51 | The main components of this distribution are: |
52 | ||
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53 | * ovs-vswitchd, a daemon that implements the switch, along with |
54 | a companion Linux kernel module for flow-based switching. | |
55 | * ovsdb-server, a lightweight database server that ovs-vswitchd | |
56 | queries to obtain its configuration. | |
57 | * ovs-dpctl, a tool for configuring the switch kernel module. | |
58 | * Scripts and specs for building RPMs for Citrix XenServer and Red | |
59 | Hat Enterprise Linux. The XenServer RPMs allow Open vSwitch to | |
60 | be installed on a Citrix XenServer host as a drop-in replacement | |
61 | for its switch, with additional functionality. | |
62 | * ovs-vsctl, a utility for querying and updating the configuration | |
63 | of ovs-vswitchd. | |
64 | * ovs-appctl, a utility that sends commands to running Open | |
3b135da3 | 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. | |
71 | * ovs-pki, a utility for creating and managing the public-key | |
72 | infrastructure for OpenFlow switches. | |
73 | * ovs-testcontroller, a simple OpenFlow controller that may be useful | |
74 | for testing (though not for production). | |
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 | |
6494ea4c | 80 | To install Open vSwitch on a regular Linux or FreeBSD host, please |
9feb1017 | 81 | read [INSTALL.md]. For specifics around installation on a specific |
6494ea4c | 82 | platform, please see one of these files: |
064af421 | 83 | |
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84 | - [INSTALL.Debian.md] |
85 | - [INSTALL.Fedora.md] | |
86 | - [INSTALL.RHEL.md] | |
87 | - [INSTALL.XenServer.md] | |
c483d489 | 88 | |
6494ea4c | 89 | To use Open vSwitch... |
5fca1acd | 90 | |
9feb1017 | 91 | - ...with Docker on Linux, read [INSTALL.Docker.md] |
ec8f0f0c | 92 | |
9feb1017 | 93 | - ...with KVM on Linux, read [INSTALL.md], read [INSTALL.KVM.md] |
064af421 | 94 | |
9feb1017 | 95 | - ...with Libvirt, read [INSTALL.Libvirt.md]. |
c434706a | 96 | |
9feb1017 | 97 | - ...without using a kernel module, read [INSTALL.userspace.md]. |
8a984481 | 98 | |
9feb1017 | 99 | For answers to common questions, read [FAQ.md]. |
d377243b | 100 | |
9feb1017 | 101 | To learn how to set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, read [INSTALL.SSL.md]. |
064af421 | 102 | |
eeecce05 | 103 | To learn about some advanced features of the Open vSwitch software |
9feb1017 | 104 | switch, read the [tutorial/Tutorial.md]. |
eeecce05 | 105 | |
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106 | Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage. Many |
107 | of the manpages are customized to your configuration as part of the | |
108 | build process, so we recommend building Open vSwitch before reading | |
109 | the manpages. | |
064af421 | 110 | |
d25e2f57 | 111 | Contact |
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112 | ------- |
113 | ||
37ea6436 | 114 | bugs@openvswitch.org |
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115 | |
116 | [INSTALL.md]:INSTALL.md | |
117 | [INSTALL.Debian.md]:INSTALL.Debian.md | |
118 | [INSTALL.Docker.md]:INSTALL.Docker.md | |
119 | [INSTALL.Fedora.md]:INSTALL.Fedora.md | |
120 | [INSTALL.KVM.md]:INSTALL.KVM.md | |
121 | [INSTALL.Libvirt.md]:INSTALL.Libvirt.md | |
122 | [INSTALL.RHEL.md]:INSTALL.RHEL.md | |
123 | [INSTALL.SSL.md]:INSTALL.SSL.md | |
124 | [INSTALL.userspace.md]:INSTALL.userspace.md | |
125 | [INSTALL.XenServer.md]:INSTALL.XenServer.md | |
126 | [FAQ.md]:FAQ.md | |
127 | [tutorial/Tutorial.md]:tutorial/Tutorial.md |