Starting qemu-kvm VMs with openvswitch networking

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Starting qemu-kvm VMs with openvswitch networking

Manual command line based VMs using openvswitch

To use openvswitch for a qemu-kvm VM networking when qemu-kvm VM is started using command line use:

1. Create '/etc/ovs-ifup' script with following contents:

   #!/bin/sh
   
   switch='br0'
   /sbin/ifconfig $1 0.0.0.0 up
   ovs-vsctl add-port ${switch} $1

2. Create '/etc/ovs-ifdown' script with following contents:

   #!/bin/sh
   
   switch='br0'
   /sbin/ifconfig $1 0.0.0.0 down
   ovs-vsctl del-port ${switch} $1

3. Do 'chmod +x /etc/ovs-if{up,down}'
4. To test start a qemu-kvm VM using something like

   /usr/libexec/qemu-kvm -m 2048 -smp 2 \
   -net nic,macaddr=00:11:22:EE:EE:EE \
   -net tap,script=/etc/ovs-ifup,downscript=/etc/ovs-ifdown \
   -hda <path-to-hdd-disk-image> \
   -cdrom <path-to-cdrom-disk-image> \
   -boot order=dc,menu=on

5. Verify that openvswitch configuration worked using 'ovs-vsctl show'
6. Access the qemu-kvm vm display using 'vncviewer localhost:<port>'

Steps learned from http://openvswitch.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?p=openvswitch;a=blob_plain;f=INSTALL.KVM;hb=HEAD

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