No support on using domain name for ovn connection string in ml2_conf.ini

[Jimin Shin]

I would like to use domain name for ovn connection string in ml2_conf.ini, but it seems like there is no support for using domain name.

For example, using configuration below falls into ovn db connection error, which means only IP addresses are available for this configuration.

In ml2_conf.ini file:
[ovn]
ovn_nb_connection = tcp:random.domain.net:6641
ovn_sb_connection = tcp:random.domain.net:6642

I looked over neutron source and found out there is no domain conversion.

I think it would be much easier to maintain the system (e.g system on k8s environment) if there is domain name support.

Thank you.

[Liu Xie (liushy)]

This is an issue for ovn/ovs , not neutron.
Maybe you can wirte a python scripts to get ip-address of ovn connections when neutron pods initing.

[Jimin Shin (jimin3-shin)]

I think this is a neutron issue.
Neutron tries to connect to ovn databse, using ovn connection string in ml2_conf.ini.
When connection string is set to domain name (like the description above), neutron opens socket using the domain name, not ip.
I think domain to ip conversion is missing before socket connection.

[Ihar Hrachyshka (ihar-hrachyshka)]

This is ovs issue, and it was fixed in 3.2: https://github.com/openvswitch/ovs/commit/4d55a364ff60d894dce4e2e97a489d81520dc663

You may want to upgrade to 3.2, or backport the patch.

Neutron may explain that DNS may work, depending on OVS version, but I don't think there is much more we can do here.

[Brian Haley (brian-haley)]

We discussed this bug at the neutron meeting today.

According to others, this issue *should* be addressed in this change:

https://github.com/openvswitch/ovs/commit/4d55a364ff60d894dce4e2e97a489d81520dc663

So should be in OVS version 3.2.

So we should be able to update the config option text, assuming we add that caveat.

[Jimin Shin (jimin3-shin)]

Thank you so much for the support!

[Brian Haley (brian-haley)]

I think we should keep this open so we update the text to use HOST or some such string in the config help message, like we do for other similar options.