xenial (1) vde_plug.1.gz

NAME

       vde_plug - Virtual Distributed Ethernet plug (two plugs creates a vde cable)

SYNOPSIS

       vde_plug [ -p portnum ] [ -g group ] [ -m octal-mode ] [ socketdir ]

DESCRIPTION

       A  vde_plug  is  a  plug  to be connected into a VDE switch.  All the data that is catched by the plug is
       written in its stdout and everything from stdin is injected in the switch.

       This tool has been designed to be used together with dpipe (1)  to  interconnect  a  second  vde_plug  to
       another switch, working as a virtual ethernet crossed cable between the two switches.

       The command
              dpipe vde_plug = vde_plug /tmp/vde2.ctl
       connects  two  local  switches:  the  former  is using the standard control socket /tmp/vde.ctl while the
       latter is using /tmp/vde2.ctl.

       The command
              dpipe vde_plug = ssh remote.machine.org vde_plug
       connects two remote switches.  If the two vde_switches run as  daemon  and  they  are  connected  to  tap
       interfaces a level 2 encrypted tunnel is established.

       vde_plug  can  also  be  established  as  a login shell for users.  The following command works as in the
       previous example
              dpipe vde_plug = ssh vdeuser@remote.machine.org vde_plug
       where vdeuser is the user with vde_plug as standard shell.  All the remote accesses are logged by  syslog
       at  the  beginning  and at the end of each session.  Attempt to login without the command vde_plug at the
       end or trying to execute something else are blocked and the attempt is logged into syslog.

OPTIONS

       -p portnum
              It is possible to decide which port of the switch to use.  When this option is not  specified  the
              switch assigns the first available unused port (if any).  It is possible to connect several cables
              in the same switch port: in this way all this cables work concurrently.  It means that packet  can
              result  as  duplicate  but  no  ARP  table  loops  are  generated.  Is useful when vde is used for
              mobility. Several physical interfaces can be used at a time during handoffs to prevent hichups  in
              connectivity.

       -g group
              group  ownership  of the communication socket. For security when more want to share a switch it is
              better to use a unix group to own the comm sockets so that the network traffic cannot be sniffed.

       -m octal-mode
              octal chmod like permissions for the comm sockets

       socketdir
              (This option can be also set as: -sock socketdir ) specify the directory which contains  the  UNIX
              socket  to  be  used  by local programs for joining the VDE.  The default value is "/tmp/vde.ctl",
              which corresponds to the socket "/tmp/vde.ctl/ctl" (or /var/run/vde.ctl when the  vde_switch  runs
              as   a   shared  daemon).   It  is  possible  for  users  to  redefine  their  default  switch  as
              ".vde-2/stdsock" in their home directory. If exist, this directory (or symbolic link to the actual
              directory) is used as the default value for the user.

NOTICE

       Virtual  Distributed  Ethernet  is  not related in any way with www.vde.com ("Verband der Elektrotechnik,
       Elektronik und Informationstechnik" i.e. the German "Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information
       Technologies").

SEE ALSO

       vde_switch(1), vde_plug2tap(1), vdeq(1), dpipe(1).

AUTHOR

       VDE is a project by Renzo Davoli <renzo@cs.unibo.it>