ovsdb/ovsdb-server.1.in

   1 .\" -*- nroff -*-
   2 .de IQ
   3 .  br
   4 .  ns
   5 .  IP "\\$1"
   6 ..
   7 .TH ovsdb\-server 1 "@VERSION@" "Open vSwitch" "Open vSwitch Manual"
   8 .\" This program's name:
   9 .ds PN ovsdb\-server
  10 .
  11 .SH NAME
  12 ovsdb\-server \- Open vSwitch database server
  13 .
  14 .SH SYNOPSIS
  15 \fBovsdb\-server\fR
  16 [\fIdatabase\fR]\&...
  17 [\fB\-\-remote=\fIremote\fR]\&...
  18 [\fB\-\-run=\fIcommand\fR]
  19 .so lib/daemon-syn.man
  20 .so lib/service-syn.man
  21 .so lib/vlog-syn.man
  22 .so lib/ssl-syn.man
  23 .so lib/ssl-bootstrap-syn.man
  24 .so lib/ssl-peer-ca-cert-syn.man
  25 .so lib/unixctl-syn.man
  26 .so lib/common-syn.man
  27 .
  28 .SH DESCRIPTION
  29 The \fBovsdb\-server\fR program provides RPC interfaces to one or more
  30 Open vSwitch databases (OVSDBs).  It supports JSON-RPC client
  31 connections over active or passive TCP/IP or Unix domain sockets.
  32 .PP
  33 Each OVSDB file may be specified on the command line as \fIdatabase\fR.
  34 If none is specified, the default is \fB@DBDIR@/conf.db\fR.  The database
  35 files must already have been created and initialized using, for
  36 example, \fBovsdb\-tool create\fR.
  37 .
  38 .SH OPTIONS
  39 .
  40 .IP "\fB\-\-remote=\fIremote\fR"
  41 Adds \fIremote\fR as a connection method used by \fBovsdb\-server\fR.
  42 \fIremote\fR must take one of the following forms:
  43 .
  44 .RS
  45 .so ovsdb/remote-passive.man
  46 .so ovsdb/remote-active.man
  47 .
  48 .IP "\fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR"
  49 Reads additional connection methods from \fIcolumn\fR in all of the
  50 rows in \fItable\fR within \fIdb\fR.  As the contents of \fIcolumn\fR changes,
  51 \fBovsdb\-server\fR also adds and drops connection methods accordingly.
  52 .IP
  53 If \fIcolumn\fR's type is string or set of strings, then the
  54 connection methods are taken directly from the column.  The connection
  55 methods in the column must have one of the forms described above.
  56 .IP
  57 If \fIcolumn\fR's type is UUID or set of UUIDs and references a table,
  58 then each UUID is looked up in the referenced table to obtain a row.
  59 The following columns in the row, if present and of the correct type,
  60 configure a connection method.  Any additional columns are ignored.
  61 .RS
  62 .IP "\fBtarget\fR (string)"
  63 Connection method, in one of the forms described above.  This column
  64 is mandatory: if it is missing or empty then no connection method can
  65 be configured.
  66 .IP "\fBmax_backoff\fR (integer)"
  67 Maximum number of milliseconds to wait between connection attempts.
  68 .IP "\fBinactivity_probe\fR (integer)"
  69 Maximum number of milliseconds of idle time on connection to
  70 client before sending an inactivity probe message.
  71 .RE
  72 .IP
  73 It is an error for \fIcolumn\fR to have another type.
  74 .RE
  75 .
  76 .IP
  77 To connect or listen on multiple connection methods, use multiple
  78 \fB\-\-remote\fR options.
  79 .
  80 .IP "\fB\-\-run=\fIcommand\fR]"
  81 Ordinarily \fBovsdb\-server\fR runs forever, or until it is told to
  82 exit (see \fBRUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS\fR below).  With this option,
  83 \fBovsdb\-server\fR instead starts a shell subprocess running
  84 \fIcommand\fR.  When the subprocess terminates, \fBovsdb\-server\fR
  85 also exits gracefully.  If the subprocess exits normally with exit
  86 code 0, then \fBovsdb\-server\fR exits with exit code 0 also;
  87 otherwise, it exits with exit code 1.
  88 .IP
  89 This option can be useful where a database server is needed only to
  90 run a single command, e.g.:
  91 .B "ovsdb\-server \-\-remote=punix:socket \-\-run='ovsdb\-client dump unix:socket Open_vSwitch'"
  92 .IP
  93 This option is not supported on Windows platform.
  94 .SS "Daemon Options"
  95 .ds DD \
  96 \fBovsdb\-server\fR detaches only after it starts listening on all \
  97 configured remotes.
  98 .so lib/daemon.man
  99 .SS "Service Options"
 100 .so lib/service.man
 101 .SS "Logging Options"
 102 .so lib/vlog.man
 103 .SS "Public Key Infrastructure Options"
 104 The options described below for configuring the SSL public key
 105 infrastructure accept a special syntax for obtaining their
 106 configuration from the database.  If any of these options is given
 107 \fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR as its argument, then the
 108 actual file name is read from the specified \fIcolumn\fR in \fItable\fR
 109 within the \fIdb\fR database.  The \fIcolumn\fR must have type
 110 string or set of strings.  The first nonempty string in the table is taken
 111 as the file name.  (This means that ordinarily there should be at most
 112 one row in \fItable\fR.)
 113 .so lib/ssl.man
 114 .so lib/ssl-bootstrap.man
 115 .so lib/ssl-peer-ca-cert.man
 116 .SS "Other Options"
 117 .so lib/unixctl.man
 118 .so lib/common.man
 119 .SH "RUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS"
 120 \fBovs\-appctl\fR(8) can send commands to a running
 121 \fBovsdb\-server\fR process.  The currently supported commands are
 122 described below.
 123 .SS "OVSDB\-SERVER COMMANDS"
 124 These commands are specific to \fBovsdb\-server\fR.
 125 .IP "\fBexit\fR"
 126 Causes \fBovsdb\-server\fR to gracefully terminate.
 127 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/compact\fR [\fIdb\fR]\&..."
 128 Compacts each database \fIdb\fR in-place.  If no \fIdb\fR is
 129 specified, compacts every database in-place.  A database is also
 130 compacted automatically when a transaction is logged if it is over 4
 131 times as large as its previous compacted size (and at least 10 MB),
 132 but not before 100 commits have been added or 10 minutes have elapsed
 133 since the last compaction.
 134 .
 135 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/reconnect\fR"
 136 Makes \fBovsdb\-server\fR drop all of the JSON\-RPC
 137 connections to database clients and reconnect.
 138 .IP
 139 This command might be useful for debugging issues with database
 140 clients.
 141 .
 142 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/add\-remote \fIremote\fR"
 143 Adds a remote, as if \fB\-\-remote=\fIremote\fR had been specified on
 144 the \fBovsdb\-server\fR command line.  (If \fIremote\fR is already a
 145 remote, this command succeeds without changing the configuration.)
 146 .
 147 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/remove\-remote \fIremote\fR"
 148 Removes the specified \fIremote\fR from the configuration, failing
 149 with an error if \fIremote\fR is not configured as a remote.  This
 150 command only works with remotes that were named on \fB\-\-remote\fR or
 151 \fBovsdb\-server/add\-remote\fR, that is, it will not remove remotes
 152 added indirectly because they were read from the database by
 153 configuring a \fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR remote.
 154 (You can remove a database source with \fBovsdb\-server/remove\-remote
 155 \fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR, but not individual
 156 remotes found indirectly through the database.)
 157 .
 158 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/list\-remotes"
 159 Outputs a list of the currently configured remotes named on
 160 \fB\-\-remote\fR or \fBovsdb\-server/add\-remote\fR, that is, it does
 161 not list remotes added indirectly because they were read from the
 162 database by configuring a
 163 \fBdb:\fIdb\fB,\fItable\fB,\fIcolumn\fR remote.
 164 .
 165 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/add\-db \fIdatabase\fR"
 166 Adds the \fIdatabase\fR to the running \fBovsdb\-server\fR.  The database
 167 file must already have been created and initialized using, for example,
 168 \fBovsdb\-tool create\fR.
 169 .
 170 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/remove\-db \fIdatabase\fR"
 171 Removes \fIdatabase\fR from the running \fBovsdb\-server\fR.  \fIdatabase\fR
 172 must be a database name as listed by \fBovsdb-server/list\-dbs\fR.
 173 .IP
 174 If a remote has been configured that points to the specified
 175 \fIdatabase\fR (e.g. \fB\-\-remote=db:\fIdatabase\fB,\fR... on the
 176 command line), then it will be disabled until another database with
 177 the same name is added again (with \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR).
 178 .IP
 179 Any public key infrastructure options specified through this database
 180 (e.g. \fB\-\-private\-key=db:\fIdatabase,\fR... on the command line)
 181 will be disabled until another database with the same name is added
 182 again (with \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR).
 183 .
 184 .IP "\fBovsdb\-server/list\-dbs"
 185 Outputs a list of the currently configured databases added either through
 186 the command line or through the \fBovsdb\-server/add\-db\fR command.
 187 .
 188 .so lib/vlog-unixctl.man
 189 .so lib/memory-unixctl.man
 190 .so lib/coverage-unixctl.man
 191 .SH "SPECIFICATIONS"
 192 .
 193 .PP
 194 \fBovsdb\-server\fR implements the Open vSwitch Database (OVSDB)
 195 protocol specified in RFC 7047, with the following clarifications:
 196 .
 197 .IP "3.1. JSON Usage"
 198 RFC 4627 says that names within a JSON object should be unique.
 199 The Open vSwitch JSON parser discards all but the last value
 200 for a name that is specified more than once.
 201 .
 202 .IP
 203 The definition of <error> allows for implementation extensions.
 204 Currently \fBovsdb\-server\fR uses the following additional "error"
 205 strings which might change in later releases):
 206 .
 207 .RS
 208 .IP "\fBsyntax error\fR or \fBunknown column\fR"
 209 The request could not be parsed as an OVSDB request.  An additional
 210 "syntax" member, whose value is a string that contains JSON, may
 211 narrow down the particular syntax that could not be parsed.
 212 .IP "\fBinternal error\fR"
 213 The request triggered a bug in \fBovsdb\-server\fR.
 214 .IP "\fBovsdb error\fR"
 215 A map or set contains a duplicate key.
 216 .RE
 217 .
 218 .IP "3.2. Schema Format"
 219 RFC 7047 requires the "version" field in <database-schema>.  Current
 220 versions of \fBovsdb\-server\fR allow it to be omitted (future
 221 versions are likely to require it).
 222 .
 223 .IP "4. Wire Protocol"
 224 The original OVSDB specifications included the following reason,
 225 omitted from RFC 7047, to operate JSON-RPC directly over a stream
 226 instead of over HTTP:
 227 .
 228 .RS
 229 .IP \(bu
 230 JSON-RPC is a peer-to-peer protocol, but HTTP is a client-server
 231 protocol, which is a poor match.  Thus, JSON-RPC over HTTP requires
 232 the client to periodically poll the server to receive server requests.
 233 .IP \(bu
 234 HTTP is more complicated than stream connections and doesn't provide
 235 any corresponding advantage.
 236 .IP \(bu
 237 The JSON-RPC specification for HTTP transport is incomplete.
 238 .RE
 239 .
 240 .IP "4.1.5. Monitor"
 241 For backward compatibility, \fBovsdb\-server\fR currently permits a
 242 single <monitor-request> to be used instead of an array; it is treated
 243 as a single-element array.  Future versions of \fBovsdb\-server\fR
 244 might remove this compatibility feature.
 245 .IP
 246 Because the <json-value> parameter is used to match subsequent update
 247 notifications (see below) to the request, it must be unique among all
 248 active monitors.  \fBovsdb\-server\fR rejects attempt to create two
 249 monitors with the same identifier.
 250 .
 251 .IP "4.1.12. Monitor2"
 252 A new monitor method added in Open vSwitch version 2.5. Monitor2 allows
 253 for more efficient update notifications (described below).
 254 .IP
 255 The monitor method described in Section 4.1.5 also applies to
 256 monitor2, with the following exceptions.
 257 .
 258 .RS
 259 .IP \(bu
 260 RPC request method becomes "monitor2".
 261 .IP \(bu
 262 Replay result follows <table-updates2>, described in Section 4.1.13.
 263 .IP \(bu
 264 Subsequent changes are sent to the client using the "update2" monitor
 265 notification, described in Section 4.1.13
 266 .RE
 267 .
 268 .IP
 269 Both monitor and monitor2 sessions can exist concurrently. However,
 270 monitor and monitor2 shares the same <json-value> parameter space; it
 271 must be unique among all monitor and monitor2 sessions.
 272 .
 273 .IP "4.1.13. Update2 notification"
 274 The "update2" notification is sent by the server to the client to report
 275 changes in tables that are being monitored following a "monitor2" request
 276 as described above. The notification has the following members:
 277 .
 278 .RS
 279 .nf
 280 "method": "update2"
 281 "params": [<json-value>, <table-updates2>]
 282 "id": null
 283 .fi
 284 .RE
 285 .
 286 .IP
 287 The <json-value> in "params" is the same as the value passed as the
 288 <json-value>  in "params" for the corresponding "monitor" request.
 289 <table-updates2> is an object that maps from a table name to a <table-update2>.
 290 A <table-update2> is an object that maps from row's UUID to a <row-update2> object. A <row-update2> is an object with one of the following members:
 291 .
 292 .RS
 293 .IP "\(dqinitial\(dq: <row>"
 294 present for "initial" updates
 295 .IP "\(dqinsert\(dq: <row>"
 296 present for "insert" updates
 297 .IP "\(dqdelete\(dq: <row>"
 298 present for "delete" updates
 299 .IP "\(dqmodify\(dq: <row>"
 300 present for "modify" updates
 301 .RE
 302 .
 303 .IP
 304 The format of <row> is described in Section 5.1.
 305 .
 306 .IP
 307 <row> is always a null object for a "delete" update. In "initial" and
 308 "insert" updates, <row> omits columns whose values equal the default
 309 value of the column type.
 310 .
 311 .IP
 312 For a "modify" update, <row> contains only the columns that are modified.
 313 <row> stores the difference between the old and new value for those columns,
 314 as described below.
 315 .
 316 .IP
 317 For columns with single value, the difference is the value of the new
 318 column.
 319 .
 320 .IP
 321 The difference between two sets are all elements that only belong
 322 to one of the sets.
 323 .
 324 .IP
 325 The difference between two maps are all key-value pairs whose keys
 326 appears in only one of the maps, plus the key-value pairs whose keys
 327 appear in both maps but with different values.  For the latter
 328 elements, <row> includes the value from the new column.
 329 .
 330 .IP
 331 Initial views of rows are not presented in update2 notifications,
 332 but in the response object to the monitor2 request. The formatting of the
 333 <table-updates2> object, however, is the same in either case.
 334 .
 335 .IP "5.1. Notation"
 336 For <condition>, RFC 7047 only allows the use of \fB!=\fR, \fB==\fR,
 337 \fBincludes\fR, and \fBexcludes\fR operators with set types.  Open
 338 vSwitch 2.4 and later extend <condition> to allow the use of \fB<\fR,
 339 \fB<=\fR, \fB>=\fR, and \fB>\fR operators with columns with type ``set
 340 of 0 or 1 integer'' and ``set of 0 or 1 real''.  These conditions
 341 evaluate to false when the column is empty, and otherwise as described
 342 in RFC 7047 for integer and real types.
 343 .
 344 .SH "BUGS"
 345 .
 346 In Open vSwitch before version 2.4, when \fBovsdb\-server\fR sent
 347 JSON-RPC error responses to some requests, it incorrectly formulated
 348 them with the \fBresult\fR and \fBerror\fR swapped, so that the
 349 response appeared to indicate success (with a nonsensical result)
 350 rather than an error.  The requests that suffered from this problem
 351 were:
 352 .
 353 .IP \fBtransact\fR
 354 .IQ \fBget_schema\fR
 355 Only if the request names a nonexistent database.
 356 .IP \fBmonitor\fR
 357 .IQ \fBlock\fR
 358 .IQ \fBunlock\fR
 359 In all error cases.
 360 .
 361 .PP
 362 Of these cases, the only error that a well-written application is
 363 likely to encounter in practice is \fBmonitor\fR of tables or columns
 364 that do not exist, in an situation where the application has been
 365 upgraded but the old database schema is still temporarily in use.  To
 366 handle this situation gracefully, we recommend that clients should
 367 treat a \fBmonitor\fR response with a \fBresult\fR that contains an
 368 \fBerror\fR key-value pair as an error (assuming that the database
 369 being monitored does not contain a table named \fBerror\fR).
 370 .
 371 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 372 .
 373 .BR ovsdb\-tool (1).