OVS-PKI(8)                       Open vSwitch                       OVS-PKI(8)



NAME
       ovs-pki - OpenFlow public key infrastructure management utility

SYNOPSIS
       Each command takes the form:

       ovs-pki <options> <command> <args>...

       The implemented commands and their arguments are:

       • ovs-pki initovs-pki req <name>ovs-pki sign <name> [<type>]ovs-pki req+sign <name> [<type>]ovs-pki verify <name> [<type>]ovs-pki fingerprint <file>ovs-pki self-sign <name>

       Each  <type>  above  is  a certificate type, either switch (default) or
       controller.

       The available options are:

       • -k <type> or --key=<type>-B <nbits> or --bits=<nbits>-D <file> or --dsaparam=<file>-b or --batch-f or --force-d <dir> or --dir=<dir>-l <file> or --log=<file>-u or --unique-h or --help

DESCRIPTION
       The ovs-pki program sets up and manages a public key infrastructure for
       use with OpenFlow.  It is intended to be a simple interface for organi‐
       zations that do not have  an  established  public  key  infrastructure.
       Other PKI tools can substitute for or supplement the use of ovs-pki.

       ovs-pki uses openssl(1) for certificate management and key generation.

OFFLINE COMMANDS
       The following ovs-pki commands support manual PKI administration:

       • init

         Initializes  a  new  PKI (by default in /var/lib/openvswitch/pki, al‐
         though this default may be changed at Open vSwitch  build  time)  and
         populates  it  with a pair of certificate authorities for controllers
         and switches.

         This command should ideally be run on a high-security  machine  sepa‐
         rate  from  any OpenFlow controller or switch, called the CA machine.
         The  files  pki/controllerca/cacert.pem  and  pki/switchca/cacert.pem
         that it produces will need to be copied over to the OpenFlow switches
         and controllers, respectively.  Their contents  may  safely  be  made
         public.

         By  default,  ovs-pki  generates 2048-bit RSA keys.  The -B or --bits
         option (see below) may be used to override the key  length.   The  -k
         dsa  or  --key=dsa option may be used to use DSA in place of RSA.  If
         DSA is selected, the dsaparam.pem file generated in the new PKI hier‐
         archy must be copied to any machine on which the req command (see be‐
         low) will be executed.  Its contents may safely be made public.

         Other files generated by init may remain  on  the  CA  machine.   The
         files    pki/controllerca/private/cakey.pem   and   pki/switchca/pri‐
         vate/cakey.pem have particularly sensitive contents that  should  not
         be exposed.

       • req <name>

         Generates  a new private key named <name>-privkey.pem and correspond‐
         ing certificate request named <name>-req.pem.  The private key can be
         intended for use by a switch or a controller.

         This  command  should ideally be run on the switch or controller that
         will use the private key to identify itself.  The file <name>-req.pem
         must  be  copied  to the CA machine for signing with the sign command
         (below).

         This command will output a fingerprint to stdout as its  final  step.
         Write  down the fingerprint and take it to the CA machine before con‐
         tinuing with the sign step.

         When RSA keys are in use (as is the default), req, unlike the rest of
         the ovs-pki commands, does not need access to a PKI hierarchy created
         by ovs-pki init.  The -B or --bits option (see below) may be used  to
         specify the number of bits in the generated RSA key.

         When  DSA  keys are used (as specified with --key=dsa), req needs ac‐
         cess to the dsaparam.pem file created as part of  the  PKI  hierarchy
         (but not to other files in that tree).  By default, ovs-pki looks for
         this file in the  PKI  directory  as  dsaparam.pem,  but  the  -D  or
         --dsaparam option (see below) may be used to specify an alternate lo‐
         cation.

         <name>-privkey.pem has sensitive contents that should not be exposed.
         <name>-req.pem may be safely made public.

       • sign <name> [<type>]

         Signs  the certificate request named <name>-req.pem that was produced
         in the previous step, producing a certificate named  <name>-cert.pem.
         <type>,  either switch (default) or controller, indicates the use for
         which the key is being certified.

         This command must be run on the CA machine.

         The command will output a fingerprint to stdout and request that  you
         verify  that  it  is  the same fingerprint output by the req command.
         This ensures that the request being signed is the same  one  produced
         by req.  (The -b or --batch option suppresses the verification step.)

         The file <name>-cert.pem will need to be copied back to the switch or
         controller for which it is intended.  Its contents may safely be made
         public.

       • req+sign <name> [<type>]

         Combines the req and sign commands into a single step, outputting all
         the   files   produced   by   each.    The   <name>-privkey.pem   and
         <name>-cert.pem  files  must be copied securely to the switch or con‐
         troller.  <name>-privkey.pem has sensitive contents and must  not  be
         exposed  in transit.  Afterward, it should be deleted from the CA ma‐
         chine.

         This combined method is, theoretically, less secure than the individ‐
         ual  steps  performed  separately  on two different machines, because
         there is additional potential for exposure of the private key.   How‐
         ever, it is also more convenient.

       • verify <name> [<type>]

         Verifies  that  <name>-cert.pem  is a valid certificate for the given
         <type> of use, either switch (default) or controller.   If  the  cer‐
         tificate   is   valid   for   this   use,   it   prints  the  message
         <name>-cert.pem: OK; otherwise, it prints an error message.

       • fingerprint <file>

         Prints the fingerprint for <file>.  If <file> is a certificate,  then
         this  is  the SHA-1 digest of the DER encoded version of the certifi‐
         cate; otherwise, it is the SHA-1 digest of the entire file.

       • self-sign <name>

         Signs the certificate request named <name>-req.pem using the  private
         key  <name>-privkey.pem,  producing  a  self-signed certificate named
         <name>-cert.pem.  The input files  should  have  been  produced  with
         ovs-pki req.

         Some controllers accept such self-signed certificates.

OPTIONS-k <type> or --key=<type>

         For  the  init  command, sets the public key algorithm to use for the
         new PKI hierarchy.  For the req and req+sign commands, sets the  pub‐
         lic  key  algorithm  to  use  for the key to be generated, which must
         match the value specified on init.  With other  commands,  the  value
         has no effect.

         The <type> may be rsa (the default) or dsa.

       • -B <nbits> or --bits=<nbits>

         Sets  the  number  of bits in the key to be generated.  When RSA keys
         are in use, this option affects only the init, req, and req+sign com‐
         mands,  and  the same value should be given each time.  With DSA keys
         are in use, this option affects only the init command.

         The value must be at least 1024.  The default is 2048.

       • -D <file> or --dsaparam=<file>

         Specifies an alternate location for the dsaparam.pem file required by
         the  req  and req+sign commands.  This option affects only these com‐
         mands, and only when DSA keys are used.

         The default is dsaparam.pem under the PKI hierarchy.

       • -b or --batch

         Suppresses the interactive verification of fingerprints that the sign
         command by default requires.

       • -d <dir> or --dir=<dir>

         Specifies  the location of the PKI hierarchy to be used or created by
         the command.  All commands, except req, need access to a PKI  hierar‐
         chy.

         The  default PKI hierarchy is /var/lib/openvswitch/pki, although this
         default may be changed at Open vSwitch build time

       • -f or --force

         By default, ovs-pki will not overwrite existing files or directories.
         This option overrides this behavior.

       • -l <file> or --log=<file>

         Sets  the  log file to <file>.  The default is ovs-pki.log in the OVS
         log directory.  The  default  OVS  log  directory  is  /var/log/open‐
         vswitch,  although  this default may be changed at Open vSwitch build
         time.

       • -u or --unique

         Changes the format of the certificate’s Common Name (CN)  field.   By
         default,  this  field  has the format <name> id:<uuid-or-date>.  This
         option causes the provided name to be treated as unique  and  changes
         the format of the CN field to be simply <name>.

       • -h or --help

         Prints a help usage message and exits.

AUTHOR
       The Open vSwitch Development Community

COPYRIGHT
       2016-2021, The Open vSwitch Development Community




3.3                              Feb 17, 2024                       OVS-PKI(8)