OVSDB-SERVER(7)                  Open vSwitch                  OVSDB-SERVER(7)



NAME
       ovsdb-server - Open vSwitch Database Server Protocol

DESCRIPTION
       ovsdb-server  implements  the  Open  vSwitch  Database (OVSDB) protocol
       specified in RFC 7047.  This document provides clarifications  for  how
       ovsdb-server  implements the protocol and describes the extensions that
       it provides beyond RFC 7047.  Numbers in section headings refer to cor‐
       responding sections in RFC 7047.

   3.1 JSON Usage
       RFC  4627  says  that names within a JSON object should be unique.  The
       Open vSwitch JSON parser discards all but the last  value  for  a  name
       that is specified more than once.

       The  definition  of <error> allows for implementation extensions.  Cur‐
       rently ovsdb-server uses the following additional error strings  (which
       might change in later releases):

       syntax error or unknown column
              The  request  could not be parsed as an OVSDB request.  An addi‐
              tional syntax member, whose value  is  a  string  that  contains
              JSON,  may  narrow  down the particular syntax that could not be
              parsed.

       internal error
              The request triggered a bug in ovsdb-server.

       ovsdb error
              A map or set contains a duplicate key.

       permission error
              The request was denied by the role-based access  control  exten‐
              sion, introduced in version 2.8.

   3.2 Schema Format
       RFC 7047 requires the version field in <database-schema>.  Current ver‐
       sions of ovsdb-server allow it  to  be  omitted  (future  versions  are
       likely to require it).

       RFC  7047  allows columns that contain weak references to be immutable.
       This raises the issue of the behavior of the weak  reference  when  the
       rows  that  it references are deleted.  Since version 2.6, ovsdb-server
       forces columns that contain weak references to be mutable.

       Since version 2.8, the table name RBAC_Role is used internally  by  the
       role-based  access  control extension to ovsdb-server and should not be
       used for purposes other than defining mappings of role names  to  table
       access  permissions.  This table has one row per role name and the fol‐
       lowing columns:

       name   The role name.

       permissions
              A map of table name to a reference to a row in a  separate  per‐
              mission table.

       The  separate RBAC permission table has one row per access control con‐
       figuration and the following columns:

       name   The name of the table to which the row applies.

       authorization
              The set of column names and column:key pairs to be compared with
              the  client ID in order to determine the authorization status of
              the requested operation.

       insert_delete
              A boolean value, true if authorized insertions and deletions are
              allowed, false if no insertions or deletions are allowed.

       update The set of columns and column:key pairs for which authorized up‐
              date and mutate operations should be permitted.

   4 Wire Protocol
       The original OVSDB specifications included the following reasons, omit‐
       ted  from  RFC 7047, to operate JSON-RPC directly over a stream instead
       of over HTTP:

       • JSON-RPC is a peer-to-peer protocol, but HTTP is a client-server pro‐
         tocol,  which is a poor match.  Thus, JSON-RPC over HTTP requires the
         client to periodically poll the server to receive server requests.

       • HTTP is more complicated than stream connections and doesn’t  provide
         any corresponding advantage.

       • The JSON-RPC specification for HTTP transport is incomplete.

   4.1.3 Transact
       Since  version 2.8, role-based access controls can be applied to opera‐
       tions within a transaction that would modify the contents of the  data‐
       base  (these  operations include row insert, row delete, column update,
       and column mutate). Role-based access controls  are  applied  when  the
       database  schema  contains a table with the name RBAC_Role and the con‐
       nection on which the transaction request was received has an associated
       role  name  (from the role column in the remote connection table). When
       role-based access controls are enabled, transactions that are otherwise
       well-formed may be rejected depending on the client’s role, ID, and the
       contents of the RBAC_Role table and associated permissions table.

   4.1.5 Monitor
       For backward compatibility, ovsdb-server  currently  permits  a  single
       <monitor-request>  to  be  used instead of an array; it is treated as a
       single-element array.  Future versions  of  ovsdb-server  might  remove
       this compatibility feature.

       Because  the  <json-value> parameter is used to match subsequent update
       notifications (see below) to the request, it must be unique  among  all
       active  monitors.   ovsdb-server rejects attempt to create two monitors
       with the same identifier.

       When a given client sends a transact request that changes a table  that
       the same client is monitoring, ovsdb-server always sends the update (or
       update2 or update3) for these changes before it sends the reply to  the
       transact  request.   Thus,  when a client receives a transact reply, it
       can know immediately what changes (if any) the transaction  made.   (If
       ovsdb-server  might  use  the other order, then a client that wishes to
       act on based on the results of its own transactions would not know when
       this was guaranteed to have taken place.)

   4.1.7 Monitor Cancellation
       When  a database monitored by a session is removed, and database change
       awareness is enabled for the session (see Section 4.1.16), the database
       server  spontaneously cancels all monitors (including conditional moni‐
       tors described in Section 4.1.12) for the removed database.   For  each
       canceled monitor, it issues a notification in the following form:

          "method": "monitor_canceled"
          "params": [<json-value>]
          "id": null

   4.1.12 Monitor_cond
       A  new  monitor  method  added  in Open vSwitch version 2.6.  The moni‐
       tor_cond request enables a client to replicate subsets of tables within
       an OVSDB database by requesting notifications of changes to rows match‐
       ing one of the conditions specified in where by receiving the specified
       contents of these rows when table updates occur.  monitor_cond also al‐
       lows a more efficient  update  notifications  by  receiving  <table-up‐
       dates2> notifications (described below).

       The  monitor  method  described  in Section 4.1.5 also applies to moni‐
       tor_cond, with the following exceptions:

       • RPC request method becomes monitor_cond.

       • Reply result follows <table-updates2>, described in Section 4.1.14.

       • Subsequent changes are sent to the client using the  update2  monitor
         notification, described in Section 4.1.14

       • Update  notifications  are being sent only for rows matching [<condi‐
         tion>*].

       The request object has the following members:

          "method": "monitor_cond"
          "params": [<db-name>, <json-value>, <monitor-cond-requests>]
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       The <json-value> parameter is used to match subsequent update notifica‐
       tions  (see below) to this request.  The <monitor-cond-requests> object
       maps the name of the table to an array of <monitor-cond-request>.

       Each <monitor-cond-request> is an object with the following members:

          "columns": [<column>*]            optional
          "where": [<condition>*]           optional
          "select": <monitor-select>        optional

       The columns, if present, define the columns within the table to be mon‐
       itored  that  match  conditions.  If not present, all columns are moni‐
       tored.

       The where, if present, is a JSON array of <condition> and boolean  val‐
       ues.  If not present or condition is an empty array, implicit True will
       be considered and updates on all rows will be sent.

       <monitor-select> is an object with the following members:

          "initial": <boolean>              optional
          "insert": <boolean>               optional
          "delete": <boolean>               optional
          "modify": <boolean>               optional

       The contents of this object specify how the columns or table are to  be
       monitored as explained in more detail below.

       The response object has the following members:

          "result": <table-updates2>
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

       The  <table-updates2>  object is described in detail in Section 4.1.14.
       It contains the contents of the tables for which initial rows  are  se‐
       lected.  If no tables initial contents are requested, then result is an
       empty object.

       Subsequently, when changes to a specified table that match one  of  the
       conditions in <monitor-cond-request> are committed, the changes are au‐
       tomatically sent to the client using the update2  monitor  notification
       (see Section 4.1.14).  This monitoring persists until the JSON-RPC ses‐
       sion terminates or until the client sends a monitor_cancel JSON-RPC re‐
       quest.

       Each  <monitor-cond-request>  specifies  one or more conditions and the
       manner in which the rows that match the conditions are to be monitored.
       The  circumstances  in  which  an update notification is sent for a row
       within the table are determined by <monitor-select>:

       • If initial is omitted or true, every row in the original  table  that
         matches  one of the conditions is sent as part of the response to the
         monitor_cond request.

       • If insert is omitted or true, update notifications are sent for  rows
         newly inserted into the table that match conditions or for rows modi‐
         fied in the table so that their old version does not match the condi‐
         tion and new version does.

       • If  delete is omitted or true, update notifications are sent for rows
         deleted from the table that match conditions or for rows modified  in
         the table so that their old version does match the conditions and new
         version does not.

       • If modify is omitted or true, update notifications are sent  whenever
         a  row  in the table that matches conditions in both old and new ver‐
         sion is modified.

       Both monitor and monitor_cond sessions can exist concurrently. However,
       monitor  and monitor_cond shares the same <json-value> parameter space;
       it must be unique among all monitor and monitor_cond sessions.

   4.1.13 Monitor_cond_change
       The monitor_cond_change request enables a client to change an  existing
       monitor_cond  replication of the database by specifying a new condition
       and columns for each replicated table.  Currently changing the  columns
       set is not supported.

       The request object has the following members:

          "method": "monitor_cond_change"
          "params": [<json-value>, <json-value>, <monitor-cond-update-requests>]
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       The  <json-value>  parameter  should have a value of an existing condi‐
       tional monitoring session from this client. The second <json-value>  in
       params  array  is  the  requested value for this session. This value is
       valid only after monitor_cond_change is committed. A user can use these
       values  to distinguish between update messages before conditions update
       and after. The <monitor-cond-update-requests> object maps the  name  of
       the  table to an array of <monitor-cond-update-request>.  Monitored ta‐
       bles not included in <monitor-cond-update-requests> retain  their  cur‐
       rent conditions.

       Each <monitor-cond-update-request> is an object with the following mem‐
       bers:

          "columns": [<column>*]         optional
          "where": [<condition>*]        optional

       The columns specify a new array of columns to  be  monitored,  although
       this feature is not yet supported.

       The where specify a new array of conditions to be applied to this moni‐
       toring session.

       The response object has the following members:

          "result": {}
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

       Subsequent <table-updates2> notifications are described  in  detail  in
       Section  4.1.14 in the RFC.  If insert contents are requested by origi‐
       nal monitor_cond request, <table-updates2> will contain rows that match
       the  new condition and do not match the old condition.  If deleted con‐
       tents are requested by origin monitor  request,  <table-updates2>  will
       contain  any  matched  rows by old condition and not matched by the new
       condition.

       Changes according to the new conditions are automatically sent  to  the
       client  using  the update2 or update3 monitor notification depending on
       the monitor method.  An update, if any, as  a  result  of  a  condition
       change,  will  be  sent  to  the  client  before the reply to the moni‐
       tor_cond_change request.

   4.1.14 Update2 notification
       The update2 notification is sent by the server to the client to  report
       changes in tables that are being monitored following a monitor_cond re‐
       quest as described above. The notification has the following members:

          "method": "update2"
          "params": [<json-value>, <table-updates2>]
          "id": null

       The <json-value> in params is the same  as  the  value  passed  as  the
       <json-value>  in  params  for  the corresponding monitor request.  <ta‐
       ble-updates2> is an object that maps from a table name to a  <table-up‐
       date2>.   A <table-update2> is an object that maps from row’s UUID to a
       <row-update2> object. A <row-update2> is an object with one of the fol‐
       lowing members:

       "initial": <row>
              present for initial updates

       "insert": <row>
              present for insert updates

       "delete": <row>
              present for delete updates

       "modify": <row>"
              present for modify updates

       The format of <row> is described in Section 5.1.

       <row>  is always a null object for a delete update.  In initial and in‐
       sert updates, <row> omits columns whose values equal the default  value
       of the column type.

       For a modify update, <row> contains only the columns that are modified.
       <row> stores the difference between the old and  new  value  for  those
       columns, as described below.

       For  columns  with single value, the difference is the value of the new
       column.

       The difference between two sets are all elements that  only  belong  to
       one of the sets.

       The  difference between two maps are all key-value pairs whose keys ap‐
       pears in only one of the maps, plus the key-value pairs whose keys  ap‐
       pear  in both maps but with different values.  For the latter elements,
       <row> includes the value from the new column.

       Initial views of rows are not presented in update2  notifications,  but
       in  the response object to the monitor_cond request.  The formatting of
       the <table-updates2> object, however, is the same in either case.

   4.1.15 Monitor_cond_since
       A new monitor method added in Open vSwitch  version  2.12.   The  moni‐
       tor_cond_since  request  enables  a client to request changes that hap‐
       pened after a specific transaction id. A client can use this feature to
       request  only latest changes after a server connection reset instead of
       re-transfer all data from the server again.

       The monitor_cond method described in Section  4.1.12  also  applies  to
       monitor_cond_since, with the following exceptions:

       • RPC request method becomes monitor_cond_since.

       • Reply result includes extra parameters.

       • Subsequent  changes  are sent to the client using the update3 monitor
         notification, described in Section 4.1.16

       The request object has the following members:

          "method": "monitor_cond_since"
          "params": [<db-name>, <json-value>, <monitor-cond-requests>, <last-txn-id>]
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       The <last-txn-id> parameter is the transaction id that  identifies  the
       latest  data  the  client  already  has, and it requests server to send
       changes AFTER this transaction (exclusive).

       All other parameters are the same as monitor_cond method.

       The response object has the following members:

          "result": [<found>, <last-txn-id>, <table-updates2>]
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

       The <found> is a boolean value that  tells  if  the  <last-txn-id>  re‐
       quested  by  client  is  found in server’s history or not. If true, the
       changes after that version up to current is sent. Otherwise,  all  data
       is sent.

       The  <last-txn-id>  is  the  transaction  id that identifies the latest
       transaction included in the changes in  <table-updates2>  of  this  re‐
       sponse,  so  that  client can keep tracking.  If there is no change in‐
       volved in this response, it is the same as the <last-txn-id> in the re‐
       quest  if  <found>  is  true, or zero uuid if <found> is false.  If the
       server does not support transaction uuid, it will be zero uuid as well.

       All other parameters are the same as in response object of monitor_cond
       method.

       Like in monitor_cond, subsequent changes that match conditions in <mon‐
       itor-cond-request> are automatically sent to the client, but using  up‐
       date3 monitor notification (see Section 4.1.16), instead of update2.

   4.1.16 Update3 notification
       The  update3 notification is sent by the server to the client to report
       changes  in  tables  that  are  being  monitored  following   a   moni‐
       tor_cond_since  request  as  described  above. The notification has the
       following members:

          "method": "update3"
          "params": [<json-value>, <last-txn-id>, <table-updates2>]
          "id": null

       The <last-txn-id> is the same as described in the  response  object  of
       monitor_cond_since.

       All  other  parameters  are the same as in update2 monitor notification
       (see Section 4.1.14).

   4.1.17 Get Server ID
       A new RPC method added in Open vSwitch version 2.7.  The  request  con‐
       tains the following members:

          "method": "get_server_id"
          "params": null
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       The response object contains the following members:

          "result": "<server_id>"
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

       <server_id>  is  JSON string that contains a UUID that uniquely identi‐
       fies the running OVSDB server process.  A fresh UUID is generated  when
       the process restarts.

   4.1.18 Database Change Awareness
       RFC  7047  does  not  provide a way for a client to find out about some
       kinds of configuration changes, such as about databases  added  or  re‐
       moved  while a client is connected to the server, or databases changing
       between read/write and read-only due to a transition between active and
       backup  roles.   Traditionally,  ovsdb-server  disconnects  all  of its
       clients when this happens, because this prompts a  well-written  client
       to reassess what is available from the server when it reconnects.

       OVS  2.9  provides  a  way  for clients to keep track of these kinds of
       changes, by monitoring the Database table in the _Server  database  in‐
       troduced in this release (see ovsdb-server(5) for details).  By itself,
       this does not suppress ovsdb-server disconnection behavior,  because  a
       client  might  monitor  this database without understanding its special
       semantics.  Instead, ovsdb-server provides a special request:

          "method": "set_db_change_aware"
          "params": [<boolean>]
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       If the boolean in the  request  is  true,  it  suppresses  the  connec‐
       tion-closing  behavior  for  the current connection, and false restores
       the default behavior.  The reply is always the same:

          "result": {}
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

   4.1.19 Schema Conversion
       Open vSwitch 2.9 adds a new JSON-RPC request to convert an online data‐
       base  from  one  schema to another.  The request contains the following
       members:

          "method": "convert"
          "params": [<db-name>, <database-schema>]
          "id": <nonnull-json-value>

       Upon receipt, the server converts database <db-name> to  schema  <data‐
       base-schema>.   The schema’s name must be <db-name>.  The conversion is
       atomic, consistent, isolated, and durable.  The data  in  the  database
       must  be  valid when interpreted under <database-schema>, with only one
       exception: data for tables and columns that do not  exist  in  the  new
       schema are ignored.  Columns that exist in <database-schema> but not in
       the database are set to their default values.  All of the new  schema’s
       constraints apply in full.

       If  the  conversion is successful, the server notifies clients that use
       the set_db_change_aware RPC introduced in Open vSwitch 2.9 and  cancels
       their  outstanding  transactions  and monitors.  The server disconnects
       other clients, enabling them to notice the change when they  reconnect.
       The server sends the following reply:

          "result": {}
          "error": null
          "id": same "id" as request

       If  the  conversion  fails, then the server sends an error reply in the
       following form:

          "result": null
          "error": [<error>]
          "id": same "id" as request

   5.1 Notation
       For <condition>, RFC 7047 only allows the use of !=, ==, includes,  and
       excludes  operators  with set types.  Open vSwitch 2.4 and later extend
       <condition> to allow the use of <, <=, >=, and > operators with a  col‐
       umn with type “set of 0 or 1 integer” and an integer argument, and with
       “set of 0 or 1 real” and a real argument.  These conditions evaluate to
       false  when the column is empty, and otherwise as described in RFC 7047
       for integer and real types.

       <condition> is specified in Section 5.1 in the RFC with  the  following
       change:  A  condition can be either a 3-element JSON array as described
       in the RFC or a boolean value. In case of an empty  array  an  implicit
       true boolean value will be considered.

   5.2.1 Insert
       As  an  extension,  Open  vSwitch 2.13 and later allow an optional uuid
       member to specify the UUID for the new row.  The specified UUID must be
       unique  within  the table when it is inserted and not the UUID of a row
       previously deleted within the transaction.  If the UUID violates  these
       rules, then the operation fails with a duplicate uuid error.

   5.2.6 Wait, 5.2.7 Commit, 5.2.9 Comment
       RFC  7047  says  that  the wait, commit, and comment operations have no
       corresponding result object.  This is not true.  Instead, when such  an
       operation is successful, it yields a result object with no members.

AUTHOR
       The Open vSwitch Development Community

COPYRIGHT
       2016-2021, The Open vSwitch Development Community




3.3                              Feb 17, 2024                  OVSDB-SERVER(7)