..
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================================
How to Use Open vSwitch with KVM
================================

This document describes how to use Open vSwitch with the Kernel-based Virtual
Machine (KVM).

.. note::

  This document assumes that you have read and followed the `installation guide
  <INSTALL.rst>`__ to get Open vSwitch setup on your Linux system.

Setup
-----

KVM uses tunctl to handle various bridging modes, which you can install with
the Debian/Ubuntu package ``uml-utilities``::

    $ apt-get install uml-utilities

Next, you will need to modify or create custom versions of the ``qemu-ifup``
and ``qemu-ifdown`` scripts. In this guide, we'll create custom versions that
make use of example Open vSwitch bridges that we'll describe in this guide.

Create the following two files and store them in known locations. For example::

    echo << EOF > /etc/ovs-ifup
    #!/bin/sh

    switch='br0'
    /sbin/ifconfig $1 0.0.0.0 up
    ovs-vsctl add-port ${switch} $1
    EOF

::

    echo << EOF > /etc/ovs-ifdown
    #!/bin/sh

    switch='br0'
    /sbin/ifconfig $1 0.0.0.0 down
    ovs-vsctl del-port ${switch} $1

The basic usage of Open vSwitch is described at the end of the `installation
guide <INSTALL.rst>`__. If you haven't already, create a bridge named ``br0``
with the following command::

    $ ovs-vsctl add-br br0

Then, add a port to the bridge for the NIC that you want your guests to
communicate over (e.g. ``eth0``)::

    $ ovs-vsctl add-port br0 eth0

Refer to ovs-vsctl(8) for more details.

Next, we'll start a guest that will use our ifup and ifdown scripts::

    $ kvm -m 512 -net nic,macaddr=00:11:22:EE:EE:EE -net \
        tap,script=/etc/ovs-ifup,downscript=/etc/ovs-ifdown -drive \
        file=/path/to/disk-image,boot=on

This will start the guest and associate a tap device with it. The ``ovs-ifup``
script will add a port on the br0 bridge so that the guest will be able to
communicate over that bridge.

To get some more information and for debugging you can use Open vSwitch
utilities such as ovs-dpctl and ovs-ofctl, For example::

    $ ovs-dpctl show
    $ ovs-ofctl show br0

You should see tap devices for each KVM guest added as ports to the bridge
(e.g. tap0)

Refer to ovs-dpctl(8) and ovs-ofctl(8) for more details.

Bug Reporting
-------------

Please report problems to bugs@openvswitch.org.