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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".

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>