BMv2 scripts

Run these commands from the repository root.

Requirements

All three BMv2 helpers use Bash. Compilation needs p4c-bm2-ss with v1model support on PATH. Set P4C_BM2_SS to select another compiler executable.

Command	Additional tools
run-bmv2.sh (native, the default)	Local simple_switch_grpc on PATH, or an executable selected by SIMPLE_SWITCH_GRPC.
run-bmv2.sh --docker	An accessible Docker daemon and an image containing simple_switch_grpc. Compilation uses the local compiler.
test-bmv2.sh	Go 1.26 or newer, CGO and a supported C compiler for race detection, plus a running target. Make is needed for make e2e.

The test script can use an existing P4Info and JSON pair through P4RT_P4INFO and P4RT_DEVICE_CONFIG, as described below. In that case it uses those files directly. Set GO to select the Go executable for the test script.

Linux Ethernet tests use existing data interfaces and raw socket permissions. Creating veth pairs uses ip from iproute2 and network administration permissions. Control plane operations and CPU Packet I/O loopback use the gRPC connection. See the integration guide for interface setup and optional tests.

Start a target

./scripts/run-bmv2.sh

The default uses the local simple_switch_grpc in the foreground, with device ID 1, gRPC port 9559, Thrift port 9090 and CPU port 255. It requires p4c-bm2-ss and compiles both L2 artifacts before starting. The target starts without a pipeline. Run example 02, the pipeline CLI or the integration tests to install one.

Choose other ports when those ports are already in use:

./scripts/run-bmv2.sh -p 10559 -t 10090
P4RT_TARGET=127.0.0.1:10559 make e2e

Native mode can bind existing data interfaces. Opening raw sockets requires the corresponding permissions:

sudo ./scripts/run-bmv2.sh --interface 1@veth1 --interface 2@veth2

CPU port 255 and drop port 511 cannot be data bindings. Interfaces must already exist. The script leaves their creation and removal to the caller. Stop the foreground target with Ctrl+C.

Docker

./scripts/run-bmv2.sh --docker --name l2-test

Docker mode requires an accessible Docker daemon and local p4c. It publishes the gRPC port on 127.0.0.1, waits for the container's listener and leaves the target running in the background. The default image is p4lang/behavioral-model:latest; -i IMAGE selects another image and also selects Docker mode. The image must provide simple_switch_grpc.

The script refuses an existing container name. It never removes that container. If its own new container fails during startup, it prints the logs and removes only that container. Use another name or stop the existing target yourself:

docker logs -f l2-test
docker stop l2-test
docker rm l2-test

Host interface bindings are available in native mode. Docker mode provides the control plane and CPU Packet I/O tests without binding host data interfaces.

Artifacts and tests

--output DIRECTORY changes the launcher's compilation directory. Its default is examples/testdata, matching the examples' default paths. P4Info and JSON are always generated together with compile-l2.sh. For the BMv2 command-line options, use the upstream guide.

make e2e, task e2e and ./scripts/test-bmv2.sh use the same test entry point. With no pipeline paths set, it compiles the L2 pair into build/integration/l2. To supply an existing pair:

P4RT_P4INFO=/tmp/l2/l2.p4info.txt \
P4RT_DEVICE_CONFIG=/tmp/l2/l2.bmv2.json \
./scripts/test-bmv2.sh -v -count=3

Both paths must be set and nonempty. The default test run covers L2 pipeline operations, arbitration and CPU PacketOut/PacketIn loopback. Other suites require the settings in the integration guide. Tests install their pipeline on the selected target, so use a target dedicated to testing.