datapath: Make adding and attaching a vport a single step.

For some time now, Open vSwitch datapaths have internally made a
distinction between adding a vport and attaching it to a datapath.  Adding
a vport just means to create it, as an entity detached from any datapath.
Attaching it gives it a port number and a datapath.  Similarly, a vport
could be detached and deleted separately.

After some study, I think I understand why this distinction exists.  It is
because ovs-vswitchd tries to open all the datapath ports before it tries
to create them.  However, changing it to create them before it tries to
open them is not difficult, so this commit does this.

The bulk of this commit, however, changes the datapath interface to one
that always creates a vport and attaches it to a datapath in a single step,
and similarly detaches a vport and deletes it in a single step.

Signed-off-by: Ben Pfaff <blp@nicira.com>
Acked-by: Jesse Gross <jesse@nicira.com>

1 files changed, 9 insertions, 7 deletions

diff --git a/utilities/ovs-dpctl.8.in b/utilities/ovs-dpctl.8.in
index cb9874d78..958b817e3 100644
--- a/utilities/ovs-dpctl.8.in
+++ b/utilities/ovs-dpctl.8.in
@@ -21,10 +21,8 @@ host's other network devices.  To intercept and process traffic on a
 given network device, use the \fBadd\-if\fR command to explicitly add
 that network device to the datapath.
 .PP
-Do not use \fBovs\-dpctl\fR commands to modify datapaths if
-\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8) is in use.  Instead, modify the
-\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR configuration file and send \fBSIGHUP\fR to the
-\fBovs\-vswitchd\fR process.
+If \fBovs\-vswitchd\fR(8) is in use, use \fBovs\-vsctl\fR(8) instead
+of \fBovs\-dpctl\fR.
 .PP
 Most \fBovs\-dpctl\fR commands that work with datapaths take an argument
 that specifies the name of the datapath, in one of the following
@@ -66,10 +64,14 @@ A \fInetdev\fR may be followed by a comma-separated list of options.
 The following options are currently supported:
 .
 .RS
-.IP "\fBinternal\fR"
-Instead of attaching an existing \fInetdev\fR, creates an internal
-port (analogous to the local port) with that name.
+.IP "\fBtype=\fItype\fR"
+Specifies the type of port to add.  The default type is \fBsystem\fR.
+.IP "\fIkey\fB=\fIvalue\fR"
+Adds an arbitrary key-value option to the port's configuration.
 .RE
+.IP
+\fBovs\-vswitchd.conf.db\fR(5) documents the available port types and
+options.
 .
 .TP
 \fBdel\-if \fIdp netdev\fR...