ovsvsctl

ovsvsctl is commonly a misspelling of ovs-vsctl, the command-line utility used to manage Open vSwitch configurations via the OVS Database (OVSDB). ovs-vsctl is the primary interface for querying and updating the state of Open vSwitch components such as bridges, ports, interfaces, controllers, and other objects. It operates against a running ovsdb-server that stores the configuration and health data for the Open vSwitch datapath.

Typical capabilities include creating and deleting bridges (add-br, del-br), adding or removing ports from bridges (add-port, del-port), and setting or retrieving properties on switches, ports, and interfaces (set, get). Users can inspect current configuration with commands like show and list-br, or export details in structured formats with format options such as json. ovs-vsctl connects to the OVSDB server via a database connection string, defaulting to the local Unix socket (for example, /var/run/openvswitch/db.sock) but adjustable with the --db option for local or remote access.

In practice, ovs-vsctl is used to configure virtual networking in virtualization platforms, cloud environments, and container orchestration setups. It supports scripting for automation and is often employed during initial host provisioning, network reconfiguration, or troubleshooting. Changes made with ovs-vsctl are applied to the OVSDB and, where applicable, to the kernel datapath, enabling or disabling flows and forwarding behavior as part of the broader Open vSwitch configuration.

Notes: The official and widely used form is ovs-vsctl; references to ovsvsctl typically point to the same functionality but may reflect typographical variants. For comprehensive usage, consult the Open vSwitch documentation and the ovs-vsctl help output.