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User can switch between L2/L3 and OVS modes using the picos_boot script already included in PicOS. User can run the script from the Linux shell on user's PicOS switch. The script will modify the PicOS configuration file /etc/picos/picos_start.conf automatically, without user having to edit the file manually.

  • The Linux shell prompt looks like username@hostname$, which may also give a hint about which PicOS mode is active. However, the /etc/init.d/picos status command at the Linux shell should be used to establish the current PicOS mode, as detailed in Checking PicOS Mode.
  • On N3048EP-ON and N3132PX switches, run "save_config" command when perform picos_boot. Otherwise, the picos_boot configuration will be lost after PicOS reboot. For detail, please refer to Configuration Saving Guide.

Switching from L2/L3 Mode to OVS Mode

This section describes the procedure to switch from the L2/L3 mode to OVS mode on a PicOS switch named LEAF-A. The switch name is arbitrary.

  1. Login with username admin to arrive at the Linux shell prompt.

    Username: admin
Password: 
admin@LEAF-A$

  2. Check the current PicOS mode using the /etc/init.d/picos status command at the Linux shell.

    admin@LEAF-A$sudo /etc/init.d/picos status
 
xorp_rtrmgr is running.
ovsdb-server is not running ... failed!
ovs-vswitchd is not running ... failed!
  3. Run the picos_boot script located in /usr/bin directory. The full path does not need to be used because the /usr/bin directory is on the system PATH by default.
  4. Enter option 2 to select OVS mode.

  5. Choose how the IP address of the management interface should be configured: DHCP or static IP. If Static IP is chosen, values for static IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway must be provided. If DHCP is chosen, no more questions are asked.

    admin@LEAF-A$sudo picos_boot
Configure the default system start-up options:
 (Select key 3 if no change)
    [1]  PicOS L2/L3   * default
    [2]  PicOS Open vSwitch/OpenFlow
    [3]  No start-up change
Enter your choice (1,2,3):2
PicOS Open vSwitch/OpenFlow is selected.
Configure the IP of management interface:
    [1] DHCP
    [2] Static IP
Enter your choice(1,2):2
  Note: The OVS server, by default, uses static local management IP and port 6640.
        vSwitch, by default, connects to the server via PTCP.
Set a static IP and netmask for the switch (128.0.0.10/24):192.168.42.120/24
Set the gateway IP (172.168.1.2):192.168.42.1
Please restart the PicOS service

  6. Restart the picos service to activate PicOS OVS mode.

    admin@LEAF-A$sudo /etc/init.d/picos restart
Stopping: PicOS L2/L3...............
Stopping enhanced syslogd: rsyslogd.
Starting enhanced syslogd: rsyslogd.
Stopping internet superserver: xinetd.
Restarting OpenBSD Secure Shell server: sshd.
Starting: PicOS Open vSwitch/OpenFlow.
Starting web server: lighttpd.
admin@LEAF-A$

  7. Verify that PicOS is now running in OVS mode.

    admin@LEAF-A$sudo /etc/init.d/picos status

xorp_rtrmgr is not running ... failed!
ovsdb-server is running.
ovs-vswitchd is running.
admin@LEAF-A$

As an alternative to restarting the picos service, user can just reboot the switch to bring the PicOS mode change into effect.

admin@LEAF-A$sudo reboot
Broadcast message from root@PicOS-OVS (pts/0) (Sun Aug 16 21:18:48 2015):
The system is going down for reboot NOW!
 
Username: admin
Password: 
admin@PicOS-OVS$

The picos_boot script has the following options:

Option 1 selects the PicOS L2/L3 (Layer 2 / Layer 3) mode. When user chooses option 1, PicOS will load in L2/L3 mode after a reboot.

Option 2 selects the PicOS OVS (Open vSwitch) mode. When user chooses option 2, PicOS will load in OVS mode after a reboot.

Option 3 does not modify the present PicOS mode.

Switching from OVS Mode to L2/L3 Mode

 This section describes the procedure used to switch from OVS mode to L2/L3 mode on a PicOS switch named LEAF-A. The switch name is arbitrary.

  1. Log in with username admin to arrive at the Linux shell prompt.

    Username: admin
Password: 
admin@PicOS-OVS$

  2. Check the current PicOS mode using the /etc/init.d/picos status  command at the Linux shell.

    admin@PicOS-OVS$sudo /etc/init.d/picos status

xorp_rtrmgr is not running ... failed!
ovsdb-server is running.
ovs-vswitchd is running.
admin@PicOS-OVS$

    The above output shows that PicOS is running in OVS mode. Please refer to Checking PicOS Mode for details.

  3. Run the picos_boot script located in /usr/bin directory. The full path does not need to be used because the /usr/bin directory is on the system PATH by default.

  4. Enter option 1 to select L2/L3 mode.

    admin@PicOS-OVS$sudo picos_boot
Configure the default system start-up options:
 (Select key 3 if no change)
    [1]  PicOS L2/L3
    [2]  PicOS Open vSwitch/OpenFlow   * default
    [3]  No start-up change
Enter your choice (1,2,3):1
PicOS L2/L3 switch system is selected.
Please restart the PicOS service

  5. Restart the picos service to activate PicOS L2/L3 mode.

    admin@PicOS-OVS$sudo /etc/init.d/picos restart
Stopping web server: lighttpd.
Stopping: PicOS Open vSwitch/OpenFlow.
Starting: PicOS L2/L3..........................
admin@PicOS-OVS$

  6. Verify that the switch is running in PicOS L2/L3 mode.

    admin@PicOS-OVS$sudo /etc/init.d/picos status

xorp_rtrmgr is running.
ovsdb-server is not running ... failed!
ovs-vswitchd is not running ... failed!
admin@PicOS-OVS$

  7. Optionally, user can run the cli command at the Linux shell to enter the PicOS L2/L3 operation mode.

    admin@PicOS-OVS$cli
Synchronizing configuration...OK.
Pica8 PicOS Version 2.6
Welcome to PicOS L2/L3 on LEAF-A
admin@LEAF-A>

As an alternative to restarting the picos service, user can just reboot the switch to bring the PicOS mode change into effect.

Enabling CrossFlow in L2/L3 Mode

This section describes the procedure to enable CrossFlow in L2/L3 mode.

  1. Enter L2/L3 operation mode, using the cli command at the Linux shell.

    admin@LEAF-A$ cli
Synchronizing configuration...OK.
Pica8 PicOS Version 2.6
Welcome to PicOS L2/L3 on LEAF-A
admin@LEAF-A>

  2. Enter configuration mode, using the configure command in the operation mode.

    admin@LEAF-A> configure
Entering configuration mode.
There are no other users in configuration mode.
admin@LEAF-A#

  3. Enable CrossFlow mode, using the set xovs enable true command in configuration mode. Commit the changes, and exit the configuration mode. Then, exit the operation mode.

    admin@LEAF-A# set xovs enable true
admin@LEAF-A# commit
Commit OK.
Save done.
admin@LEAF-A# exit
admin@LEAF-A> exit
admin@LEAF-A$

  4. Verify that both L2/L3 and OVS modes are active using the /etc/init.d/picos status command at the Linux shell.

    admin@LEAF-A$/etc/init.d/picos status

xorp_rtrmgr is running.
ovsdb-server is running.
ovs-vswitchd is running.

  5. User can now run the OVS mode commands from the Linux shell.

    admin@LEAF-A$ovs-vsctl show
e8e63632-d96b-409a-89c3-95bb4ef61f46
    Bridge "ECODE3"
        Controller "tcp:65.19.141.118:6633"
            is_connected: true
        Port "ge-1/1/1"
            Interface "ge-1/1/1"
                type: "pica8"
        Port "ECODE3"
            Interface "ECODE3"
                type: internal
        Port "ge-1/1/47"
            Interface "ge-1/1/47"
                type: "pica8"
        Port "ge-1/1/48"
            Interface "ge-1/1/48"
                type: "pica8"
        Port "ge-1/1/2"
            Interface "ge-1/1/2"
                type: "pica8"
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