VDE_PLUG2TAP(1) General Commands Manual VDE_PLUG2TAP(1)

vde_plug2tap - Virtual Distributed Ethernet plug-to-tap

vde_plug2tap [OPTION]... tap_name

vde_plug2tap is a plug to be connected into a VDE switch. All the data that is catched by the plug is sent to the tap interface tap_name and everything from that interface is injected in the switch.
Example:
vde_plug2tap tap4

connects the default switch (/var/run/vde.ctl) to the tap4 interface.

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.
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.
octal chmod like permissions for the comm sockets
specify the UNIX socket to be used by local programs for joining the VDE. The default value is "/var/run/vde.ctl". When '-' is used in place of the VDE switch directory, vde_plug2tap works as a plug (see vde_plug(1)). The command:

dpipe vde_plug = ssh remote.machine.org vde_plug2tap -s - tapx

connects the default local switch to a remote tapx interface.
start vde_plug2tap as a background process
put the process ID of vde_plug2tap in pidfile. Can be used with --daemon to store the PID for future killing.
show a brief help

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").

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

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

December 5, 2006 Virtual Distributed Ethernet