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23 .TH VDE_SWITCH 1 "February 23, 2004" "Virtual Distributed Ethernet"
25 vde_switch \- Virtual Distributed Ethernet switch
46 is a virtual switch for the vde architecture.
48 A vde network can include several vde_switches running on different
50 vde_switches can be connected by vde cables (see
54 Supported architecture for VDE end nodes include:
55 real linux boxes (through the tuntap interface),
56 bochs, qemu and MPS virtual machines.
58 VDE is useful to create networks of heterogeneous virtual machines as
59 well as as a general tunneling tool -- all the ethernet based protocols work
60 by this kind of tunnel -- and also as a tool for mobility.
61 In fact VDE creates an overlay network where users can keep their IP
62 addresses despite of the change of IP addresses on the interfaces.
64 vde_switch needs root privileges to open a tap interface, can be run by
65 users when no -tap option is specified.
70 turn off the switch engine. It operates as a hub.
72 .B \-sock "\fIsocketpath\fP",
73 specify the UNIX socket to be used by local programs for joining the VDE.
74 The default value is "/tmp/vde.ctl"
76 .B \-tap "\fIinterface\fP",
77 connect the specified tuntap interface to this vde_switch (needs root privileges)
80 Run as a daemon. Use syslog for logging.
82 Virtual Distributed Ethernet is not related in any way with
83 www.vde.com ("Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik"
84 i.e. the German "Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information
92 This code is based on uml_switch by Jeff Dike and others.
94 VDE is a project by Renzo Davoli <renzo@cs.unibo.it>