Skip to content

Programming OVS bridges using OVN Bridge Controller#

OVS + OVN 2025 Fall Conference (Prague) digest Program Adjacent pick Prague · 19–20 November 2025

Abstract Slides Recording

Numan Siddique (Crusoe AI)

Play the recording: Programming OVS bridges using OVN Bridge Controller

  • Why: New in OVN 26.03 (merged the week before the conference): program any OVS bridge using OVN logical-flow syntax instead of raw OpenFlow — motivated by a real end user (Crusoe) that needed to program provider bridges after the OVN pipeline.
  • What: ovn-br-controller plus a new OVN Bridge OVSDB database; the CMS writes logical flows (bridge, table, priority, match, actions) and the controller compiles them to OpenFlow exactly as ovn-controller programs br-int. It injects physical mapping flows (loading interface ofports into registers, a NORMAL fallback) and translates logical actions into concrete rules; multiple bridges per host are supported.
  • How: Per-hypervisor services started via ovn-ctl; external_ids:ovn-br-remote points the controller at the ovnbr DB; an ovn-brctl CLI handles bridge and flow creation.
  • Where applicable: Anyone programming provider/physical bridges on top of OVN-based stacks. Current limitations are stated: no restriction against adding br-int, and OVN-specific controller actions (put_dhcp_opts, put_fdb) are not yet restricted; incremental processing and code-sharing with ovn-controller are future work.