OS Manuals

/usr/bin/ovsdb-server

Open vSwitch is a production-quality, multilayer virtual switch

From ovs-4.0 4.0.0-r4 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-09 by running ovsdb-server --help (exit 0). permalink

2026-11-09T15:07:14Z|00001|dns_resolve|WARN|Failed to read /etc/resolv.conf: No such file or directory
ovsdb-server: Open vSwitch database server
usage: ovsdb-server [OPTIONS] [DATABASE...]
where each DATABASE is a database file in ovsdb format.
The default DATABASE, if none is given, is
/etc/openvswitch/conf.db.

JSON-RPC options (may be specified any number of times):
  --remote=REMOTE         connect or listen to REMOTE

Active JSON-RPC 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 JSON-RPC 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
  pfd:FD                  listen on pre-opened file descriptor FD
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)

Configuration file:
  --config-file PATH      Use configuration file as a source of
                          database and JSON-RPC configuration.
                          Mutually exclusive with the DATABASE,
                          JSON-RPC and Syncing options.
                          Assumes --no-dbs.

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-server.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-server.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

Syncing options:
  --sync-from=SERVER      sync DATABASE from active SERVER and start in
                          backup mode (except with --active)
  --sync-exclude-tables=DB:TABLE,...
                          exclude the TABLE in DB from syncing
  --active                with --sync-from, start in active mode

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

Other options:
  --run COMMAND           run COMMAND as subprocess then exit
  --unixctl=SOCKET        override default control socket name
  --no-dbs                do not add default database
  --disable-file-column-diff
                          don't use column diff in database file
  -h, --help              display this help message
  -V, --version           display version information
Options (34)
OptionDescriptionSource
--remote REMOTEAdds remote as a connection method used by ovsdb-server.help + man
-p, --private-key FILESpecifies a PEM file containing the private key used as ovsdb-server'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-server 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-server will enable for SSL/TLS connections.help + man
--ssl-ciphers CIPHERSSpecifies, in OpenSSL cipher string format, the ciphers ovsdb-server 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
--config-file PATHUse configuration file as a source of database and JSON-RPC configuration.help + man
--detachRuns ovsdb-server as a background process.help + man
--monitorCreates an additional process to monitor the ovsdb-server daemon.help + man
--no-chdirBy default, when --detach is specified, ovsdb-server changes its current working directory to the root directory after it detaches.help + man
--pidfile FILEcreate pidfile (default: /run/openvswitch/ovsdb-server.pid)help
--overwrite-pidfileBy default, when --pidfile is specified and the specified pidfile already exists and is locked by a running process, ovsdb-server 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-server.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
--sync-from SERVERSets up ovsdb-server to synchronize its databases with the databases in server, which must be an active connection method in one of the forms documented in ovsdb-client(1).help + man
--sync-exclude-tables DB:TABLEexclude the TABLE in DB from syncinghelp
--activeBy default, --sync-from makes ovsdb-server start up as a backup for server.help + man
--record DIRturn on writing replay fileshelp
--replay DIRrun from replay fileshelp
--run COMMANDrun COMMAND as subprocess then exithelp
--unixctl SOCKETSets the name of the control socket on which ovsdb-server listens for runtime management commands (see RUNTIME MANAGEMENT COMMANDS, below).help + man
--no-dbsdo not add default databasehelp
--disable-file-column-diffdon't use column diff in database filehelp
-h, --helpPrints a brief help message to the console.help + man + man
-V, --versionPrints version information to the console.help + man + 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-server 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
--peer-ca-cert peer-cacert.pemSpecifies a PEM file that contains one or more additional certificates to send to SSL/TLS peers. (in the manual page but not in --help)man
--ssl-ciphersuites ciphersuitesSpecifies, in OpenSSL ciphersuite string format, the ciphersuites ovsdb-server 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.