doc: Convert README to rST

Signed-off-by: Stephen Finucane <stephen@that.guru>
Signed-off-by: Russell Bryant <russell@ovn.org>

1 files changed, 116 insertions, 0 deletions

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+============
+Open vSwitch
+============
+
+Build Status
+------------
+
+.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/openvswitch/ovs.png
+    :target: https://travis-ci.org/openvswitch/ovs
+
+What is Open vSwitch?
+---------------------
+
+Open vSwitch is a multilayer software switch licensed under the open source
+Apache 2 license.  Our goal is to implement a production quality switch
+platform that supports standard management interfaces and opens the forwarding
+functions to programmatic extension and control.
+
+Open vSwitch is well suited to function as a virtual switch in VM environments.
+In addition to exposing standard control and visibility interfaces to the
+virtual networking layer, it was designed to support distribution across
+multiple physical servers.  Open vSwitch supports multiple Linux-based
+virtualization technologies including Xen/XenServer, KVM, and VirtualBox.
+
+The bulk of the code is written in platform-independent C and is easily ported
+to other environments.  The current release of Open vSwitch supports the
+following features:
+
+- Standard 802.1Q VLAN model with trunk and access ports
+- NIC bonding with or without LACP on upstream switch
+- NetFlow, sFlow(R), and mirroring for increased visibility
+- QoS (Quality of Service) configuration, plus policing
+- Geneve, GRE, VXLAN, STT, and LISP tunneling
+- 802.1ag connectivity fault management
+- OpenFlow 1.0 plus numerous extensions
+- Transactional configuration database with C and Python bindings
+- High-performance forwarding using a Linux kernel module
+
+The included Linux kernel module supports Linux 3.10 and up.
+
+Open vSwitch can also operate, at a cost in performance, entirely in userspace,
+without assistance from a kernel module.  This userspace implementation should
+be easier to port than the kernel-based switch.  It is considered experimental.
+
+What's here?
+------------
+
+The main components of this distribution are:
+
+- ovs-vswitchd, a daemon that implements the switch, along with a companion
+  Linux kernel module for flow-based switching.
+- ovsdb-server, a lightweight database server that ovs-vswitchd queries to
+  obtain its configuration.
+- ovs-dpctl, a tool for configuring the switch kernel module.
+- Scripts and specs for building RPMs for Citrix XenServer and Red Hat
+  Enterprise Linux.  The XenServer RPMs allow Open vSwitch to be installed on a
+  Citrix XenServer host as a drop-in replacement for its switch, with
+  additional functionality.
+- ovs-vsctl, a utility for querying and updating the configuration of
+  ovs-vswitchd.
+- ovs-appctl, a utility that sends commands to running Open vSwitch daemons.
+
+Open vSwitch also provides some tools:
+
+- ovs-ofctl, a utility for querying and controlling OpenFlow switches and
+  controllers.
+- ovs-pki, a utility for creating and managing the public-key infrastructure
+  for OpenFlow switches.
+- ovs-testcontroller, a simple OpenFlow controller that may be useful for
+  testing (though not for production).
+- A patch to tcpdump that enables it to parse OpenFlow messages.
+
+What other documentation is available?
+--------------------------------------
+
+To install Open vSwitch on a regular Linux or FreeBSD host, please read the
+`installation guide <INSTALL.md>`__. For specifics around installation on a
+specific platform, please see one of the below installation guides:
+
+- `Debian <INSTALL.Debian.rst>`__
+- `Fedora <INSTALL.Fedora.md>`__
+- `RHEL <INSTALL.RHEL.md>`__
+- `XenServer <INSTALL.XenServer.rst>`__
+- `Windows <INSTALL.Windows.rst>`__
+
+To use Open vSwitch...
+
+- ...with Docker on Linux, see `here <INSTALL.Docker.rst>`__.
+
+- ...with KVM on Linux, see `here <INSTALL.rst>`__ and `here
+  <INSTALL.KVM.rst>`__.
+
+- ...with Libvirt, see `here <INSTALL.Libvirt.md>`__.
+
+- ...without using a kernel module, see `here <INSTALL.userspace.rst>`__.
+
+- ...with DPDK, see `here <INSTALL.DPDK.rst>`__.
+
+- ...with SELinux, see `here <INSTALL.SELinux.md>`__.
+
+For answers to common questions, refer to the `FAQ <FAQ.md>`__.
+
+To learn how to set up SSL support for Open vSwitch, see `here
+<INSTALL.SSL.md>`__.
+
+To learn about some advanced features of the Open vSwitch software switch, read
+the `tutorial <tutorial/Tutorial.md>`__.
+
+Each Open vSwitch userspace program is accompanied by a manpage.  Many of the
+manpages are customized to your configuration as part of the build process, so
+we recommend building Open vSwitch before reading the manpages.
+
+Contact
+-------
+
+bugs@openvswitch.org