OS Manuals

/usr/bin/ovsdb-client

Open vSwitch is a production-quality, multilayer virtual switch

From ovs-3.7 3.7.1-r12 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running ovsdb-client --help (exit 0). permalink

ovsdb-client: Open vSwitch database JSON-RPC client
usage: ovsdb-client [OPTIONS] COMMAND [ARG...]

Valid commands are:

  list-dbs [SERVER]
    list databases available on SERVER

  get-schema [SERVER] [DATABASE]
    retrieve schema for DATABASE from SERVER

  get-schema-version [SERVER] [DATABASE]
    retrieve schema for DATABASE from SERVER and report only its
    version number on stdout

  get-schema-cksum [SERVER] [DATABASE]
    retrieve schema for DATABASE from SERVER and report only its
    checksum on stdout

  list-tables [SERVER] [DATABASE]
    list tables for DATABASE on SERVER

  list-columns [SERVER] [DATABASE] [TABLE]
    list columns in TABLE (or all tables) in DATABASE on SERVER

  transact [SERVER] TRANSACTION
    run TRANSACTION (params for "transact" request) on SERVER
    and print the results as JSON on stdout

  query [SERVER] TRANSACTION
    run TRANSACTION (params for "transact" request) on SERVER,
    as read-only, and print the results as JSON on stdout

  monitor [SERVER] [DATABASE] TABLE [COLUMN,...]...
    monitor contents of COLUMNs in TABLE in DATABASE on SERVER.
    COLUMNs may include !initial, !insert, !delete, !modify
    to avoid seeing the specified kinds of changes.

  monitor-cond [SERVER] [DATABASE] CONDITION TABLE [COLUMN,...]...
    monitor contents that match CONDITION of COLUMNs in TABLE in
    DATABASE on SERVER.
    COLUMNs may include !initial, !insert, !delete, !modify
    to avoid seeing the specified kinds of changes.

  monitor-cond-since [SERVER] [DATABASE] [LASTID] CONDITION TABLE [COLUMN,...]...
    monitor contents that match CONDITION of COLUMNs in TABLE in
    DATABASE on SERVER, since change after LASTID.
    LASTID specifies transaction ID after which the monitoring
    starts, which works only for cluster mode. If ignored, it
    defaults to an all-zero uuid.
    Other arguments are the same as in monitor-cond.

  convert [SERVER] SCHEMA
    convert database on SERVER named in SCHEMA to SCHEMA.

  needs-conversion [SERVER] SCHEMA
    tests whether SCHEMA's db on SERVER needs conversion.

  monitor [SERVER] [DATABASE] ALL
    monitor all changes to all columns in all tables

  wait [SERVER] DATABASE STATE
    wait until DATABASE reaches STATE ("added" or "connected" or "removed")
    in DATBASE on SERVER.

  dump [SERVER] [DATABASE] [TABLE [COLUMN]...]
    dump contents of COLUMNs, TABLE (or all tables) in DATABASE
    on SERVER to stdout

  backup [SERVER] [DATABASE] > SNAPSHOT
    dump database contents in the form of a database file

  [--force] restore [SERVER] [DATABASE] < SNAPSHOT
    restore database contents from a database file

  lock [SERVER] LOCK
    create or wait for LOCK in SERVER

  steal [SERVER] LOCK
    steal LOCK from SERVER

  unlock [SERVER] LOCK
    unlock LOCK from SERVER

The default SERVER is unix:/run/openvswitch/db.sock.
The default DATABASE is Open_vSwitch.

Active SERVER connection methods:
  tcp:HOST:PORT           PORT at remote HOST
  ssl:HOST:PORT           SSL/TLS PORT at remote HOST
  unix:FILE               Unix domain socket named FILE
Passive SERVER connection methods:
  ptcp:PORT[:IP]          listen to TCP PORT on IP
  pssl:PORT[:IP]          listen for SSL/TLS on PORT on IP
  punix:FILE              listen on Unix domain socket FILE
PKI configuration (required to use SSL/TLS):
  -p, --private-key=FILE  file with private key
  -c, --certificate=FILE  file with certificate for private key
  -C, --ca-cert=FILE      file with peer CA certificate
  --bootstrap-ca-cert=FILE  file with peer CA certificate to read or create
SSL/TLS options:
  --ssl-protocols=PROTOS    range of SSL/TLS protocols to enable
  --ssl-ciphers=CIPHERS     list of SSL/TLS ciphers to enable
                            with TLSv1.2
  --ssl-ciphersuites=SUITES list of SSL/TLS ciphersuites to
                            enable with TLSv1.3 and later
  --ssl-server-name=NAME    server name for TLS Server Name
                            Indication (SNI)

Output formatting options:
  -f, --format=FORMAT         set output formatting to FORMAT
                              ("table", "html", "csv", or "json")
  -d, --data=FORMAT           set table cell output formatting to
                              FORMAT ("string", "bare", or "json")
  --no-headings               omit table heading row
  --pretty                    pretty-print JSON in output
  --bare                      equivalent to "--format=list --data=bare --no-headings"
  --timestamp                 timestamp "monitor" output
Daemon options:
  --detach                run in background as daemon
  --monitor               creates a process to monitor this daemon
  --user=username[:group] changes the effective daemon user:group
  --no-chdir              do not chdir to '/'
  --pidfile[=FILE]        create pidfile (default: /run/openvswitch/ovsdb-client.pid)
  --overwrite-pidfile     with --pidfile, start even if already running

Logging options:
  -vSPEC, --verbose=SPEC   set logging levels
  -v, --verbose            set maximum verbosity level
  --log-file[=FILE]        enable logging to specified FILE
                           (default: /var/log/openvswitch/ovsdb-client.log)
  --syslog-method=(libc|unix:file|udp:ip:port)
                           specify how to send messages to syslog daemon
  --syslog-target=HOST:PORT  also send syslog msgs to HOST:PORT via UDP

Replay options:
  --record[=DIR]            turn on writing replay files
  --replay[=DIR]            run from replay files

Other options:
  -t, --timeout=SECS          limits ovsdb-client runtime to
                              approximately SECS seconds.
  -h, --help                  display this help message
  -V, --version               display version information
Options (32)
OptionDescriptionSource
-p, --private-key FILESpecifies a PEM file containing the private key used as ovsdb-client's identity for outgoing SSL/TLS connections.help + man + man
-c, --certificate FILESpecifies a PEM file containing a certificate that certifies the private key specified on -p or --private-key to be trustworthy.help + man + man
-C, --ca-cert FILESpecifies a PEM file containing the CA certificate that ovsdb-client should use to verify certificates presented to it by SSL/TLS peers.help + man + man
--bootstrap-ca-cert FILEWhen cacert.pem exists, this option has the same effect as -C or --ca-cert.help + man
--ssl-protocols PROTOSSpecifies a range or a comma- or space-delimited list of the SSL/TLS protocols ovsdb-client will enable for SSL/TLS connections.help + man
--ssl-ciphers CIPHERSSpecifies, in OpenSSL cipher string format, the ciphers ovsdb-client will support for SSL/TLS connections with TLSv1.2.help + man
--ssl-server-name NAMESpecifies the server name to use for TLS Server Name Indication (SNI).help + man
-f, --format FORMATset output formatting to FORMAT ("table", "html", "csv", or "json")help + man + man
-d, --data FORMATSets the formatting for cells within output tables unless the table format is set to json, in which case json formatting is always used when formatting cells.help + man + man
--no-headingsThis option suppresses the heading row that otherwise appears in the first row of table output.help + man
--prettyBy default, JSON in output is printed as compactly as possible.help + man
--bareequivalent to "--format=list --data=bare --no-headings"help + man
--timestampFor the monitor, monitor-cond and monitor-cond-since commands, add a timestamp to each table update.help + man
--detachRuns ovsdb-client as a background process.help + man
--monitorCreates an additional process to monitor the ovsdb-client daemon.help + man
--no-chdirBy default, when --detach is specified, ovsdb-client changes its current working directory to the root directory after it detaches.help + man
--pidfile FILEcreate pidfile (default: /run/openvswitch/ovsdb-client.pid)help
--overwrite-pidfileBy default, when --pidfile is specified and the specified pidfile already exists and is locked by a running process, ovsdb-client refuses to start.help + man
-vSPEC, --verbose SPECSets the maximum logging verbosity level, equivalent to --verbose=dbg.help + man
--log-file FILEenable logging to specified FILE (default: /var/log/openvswitch/ovsdb-client.log)help
--syslog-method (libc|unix:file|udp:ip:port)Specify method how syslog messages should be sent to syslog daemon.help + man
--syslog-target HOST:PORTSend syslog messages to UDP port on host, in addition to the system syslog.help + man
--record DIRturn on writing replay fileshelp
--replay DIRrun from replay fileshelp
-t, --timeout SECSlimits ovsdb-client runtime to approximately SECS seconds.help + man + man
-h, --helpPrints a brief help message to the console.help + man + man
-V, --versionPrints version information to the console.help + man + man
--max-column-width nFor table output only, limits the width of any column in the output to n columns. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--no-self-confinementBy default daemon will try to self-confine itself to work with files under well-known directories determined during build. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--userCauses ovsdb-client to run as a different user specified in "user:group", thus dropping most of the root privileges. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
-v (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--ssl-ciphersuites ciphersuitesSpecifies, in OpenSSL ciphersuite string format, the ciphersuites ovsdb-client will support for SSL/TLS connections with TLSv1.3 and later. (in the manual page but not in --help)man

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.