OVSDB Schema for Physical Devices

An Open vSwitch Database (OVSDB) server runs on a Juniper Networks device that supports the OVSDB management protocol. When this device is connected to one or more SDN controllers, the connections provide a means through which the Juniper Networks device and the SDN controllers can communicate.

Juniper Networks devices that support OVSDB and SDN controllers exchange control and statistical data. This data is stored in the OVSDB database schema defined for physical devices. The schema resides in the OVSDB server. The schema includes several tables. Juniper Networks devices and SDN controllers, both of which have OVSDB clients, can add rows to the tables as well as monitor the tables for the addition, deletion, and modification of rows.

For example, the OVSDB client on a Juniper Networks device and an SDN controller can collect MAC routes learned by entities in the physical or virtualized networks, respectively, and publish the routes to the appropriate table in the schema. By using the MAC routes and other information provided in the table, Juniper Networks devices in the physical network and entities in the virtualized network can determine where to forward virtual machine (VM) traffic.

Some of the OVSDB table names include the words local or remote—for example, the unicast MACs local table and the unicast MACs remote table. Information in local tables is learned by a Juniper Networks device that functions as a hardware virtual tunnel endpoint (VTEP), whereas information in remote tables is learned by other software or hardware VTEPs.

Table 1 describes the tables in the schema, the physical or virtual entity that is the source of the data provided in the table, and the command that you can enter in the CLI of the Juniper Networks device to get similar information.

Table 1: OVSDB Schema Tables
Table Name	Description	Source of Information	Command
Global table	Includes the top-level configuration for the Juniper Networks device.	Juniper Networks device	–
Manager table	Includes information about each SDN controller that is connected to the Juniper Networks device.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb controller`
Physical switch table	Includes information about a Juniper Networks device that functions as a hardware VTEP. This table includes information only for the device on which the table resides.	Juniper Networks device	–
Physical port table	Includes information about OVSDB-managed interfaces.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb interface`
Logical switch table	Includes the following information: Logical switches, which you configured in a VMware NSX environment, or virtual networks, which you configured in a Contrail environment. The equivalent VXLANs, which were configured on the Juniper Networks device.	SDN controller Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb logical-switch`
Logical binding statistics table	Includes statistics for OVSDB-managed interfaces.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb statistics interface`
Physical locator table	Includes information about Juniper Networks devices configured as hardware VTEPs, software VTEPs, and service nodes in an NSX environment.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb virtual-tunnel-end-point`
Physical locator set table	Includes a list of software VTEPs, service nodes, or top-of-rack service nodes (TSNs) for a logical switch.	Juniper Networks device	–
Unicast MACs remote table	Reachability information, including unicast MAC addresses, for entities in the virtualized network.	SDN controller	`show ovsdb mac`
Unicast MACs local table	Reachability information, including unicast MAC addresses, for entities in the physical network.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb mac`
Multicast MACs remote table	Includes only one row. In this row, the MAC column includes the keyword `unknown dst` along with a list of software VTEPs, service nodes, or TSNs, which handle multicast traffic.	SDN controller	`show ovsdb mac`
Multicast MACs local table	Includes one row for each logical switch. In this row, the MAC column includes the keyword `unknown dst` and a list of hardware VTEPs, which are identified by the IP address assigned to the hardware VTEP loopback interface (lo0). These hardware VTEPs can terminate or originate a VXLAN tunnel. The Multicast MACs local table is introduced in Junos OS Release 14.1X53-D25 for QFX5100 switches and in Junos OS Release 14.2R4 for MX Series routers and EX9200 switches. For all other QFX switches that support OVSDB, this table is present when OVSDB support is introduced.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb mac`
Tunnel table	Note: Only the Juniper Networks switches that support OVSDB with BFD in turn support this table. Includes information about tunnels through which BFD control messages are transmitted between the hardware VTEP and entities that replicate and forward BUM packets (software VTEPs and service nodes) within an OVSDB-managed VXLAN. Using BFD, the hardware VTEP can determine which replicators are reachable.	Juniper Networks device	`show ovsdb tunnels`

Change History Table

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Release

Description

14.1X53-D25

The Multicast MACs local table is introduced in Junos OS Release 14.1X53-D25 for QFX5100 switches and in Junos OS Release 14.2R4 for MX Series routers and EX9200 switches. For all other QFX switches that support OVSDB, this table is present when OVSDB support is introduced.

OVSDB Schema for Physical Devices

Related Documentation

Change History Table