[Bug 1915829] Re: FQDN / hostname recorded in OVSDB is unreliable

[Launchpad Bug Tracker]

This bug was fixed in the package openvswitch - 2.13.3-0ubuntu0.20.04.1

---------------
openvswitch (2.13.3-0ubuntu0.20.04.1) focal; urgency=medium

  [ James Page ]
  * New upstream point release (LP: #1920141, LP: #1907686).
  * Dropped security patches, included in release:
    - CVE-2015-8011.patch
    - CVE-2020-27827.patch
    - CVE-2020-35498.patch
  * Add BD on libdbus-1-dev to resolve linking issues for DPDK builds due
    to changes in DPDK.
  * d/control: Set minimum version of libdpdk-dev to avoid build
    failures with 19.11.6-0ubuntu0.20.04.1.

  [ Frode Nordahl ]
  * Fix recording of FQDN/hostname on startup (LP: #1915829):
    - d/p/ovs-dev-ovs-ctl-Allow-recording-hostname-separately.patch: Cherry
      pick of committed upstream fix to support skip of hostname
      configuration on ovs-vswitchd/ovsdb-server startup.
    - d/openvswitch-switch.ovs-record-hostname.service: Record hostname in
      Open vSwitch after network-online.target using new systemd unit.
    - d/openvswitch-switch.ovs-vswitchd.service: Pass `--no-record-hostname`
      option to `ovs-ctl` to delegate recording of hostname to the separate
      service.
    - d/openvswitch-switch.ovsdb-server.service: Pass `--no-record-hostname`
      option to `ovs-ctl` to delegate recording of hostname to the separate
      service.
    - d/openvswitch-switch.service: Add `Also` reference to
      ovs-record-hostname.service so that the service is enabled on install.
    - d/rules: Add `ovs-record-hostname.service` to package build.

 -- James Page <james.page at ubuntu.com>  Wed, 24 Mar 2021 08:46:41 +0000

** Changed in: openvswitch (Ubuntu Focal)
       Status: Fix Committed => Fix Released

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1915829

Title:
  FQDN / hostname recorded in OVSDB is unreliable

Status in Ubuntu Cloud Archive:
  Fix Released
Status in Ubuntu Cloud Archive ussuri series:
  Fix Committed
Status in Ubuntu Cloud Archive victoria series:
  Invalid
Status in Ubuntu Cloud Archive wallaby series:
  Fix Released
Status in openvswitch package in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in openvswitch source package in Focal:
  Fix Released
Status in openvswitch source package in Groovy:
  Fix Released
Status in openvswitch source package in Hirsute:
  Fix Released

Bug description:
  [ Impact ]

  The Open vSwitch init script `ovs-ctl` determines the system hostname
  and records it in the `external-ids:hostname` field of the `Open-
  vSwitch` table in the local OVSDB.

  This value may be consumed by downstream software and having it unset
  or set to a incorrect value could lead to erratic behavior of a
  system.

  In recent Ubuntu development we have also made it possible to
  configure Open vSwitch with netplan.io, which allows for a Open
  vSwitch controlled data path to be the only external network
  connection on a system.

  As such the current startup sequence of Open vSwitch is insufficient
  to allow for reliable recording of FQDN / hostname at system boot-up
  time.

  Examples of downstream issues can be viewed in bug 1896630 and bug
  1912844 comment #26.

  [ Test Case ]

  1) Deploy bundle on metal:

  series: focal
  machines:
    '0':
      constraints: cores=48
  relations:
   - - octavia:ovsdb-subordinate
     - ovn-chassis:ovsdb-subordinate
  applications:
    ovn-chassis:
      charm: cs:ovn-chassis
      bindings:
        "": public-space
    octavia:
      charm: cs:octavia
      options:
        openstack-origin: distro
      num_units: 1
      to:
      - 'lxd:0'
      bindings:
        "": public-space

  2) juju run --unit ovn-chassis/0 'ovs-vsctl remove open-vswitch . external-ids hostname'
  3) juju run --unit ovn-chassis/0 'sudo shutdown -r now'
  4) Observe external-ids:hostname being recorded as a shortname
  5) Add proposed and install openvswitch packages, repeat step 2-3
  6) Observe external-ids:hostname  being recorded as a FQDN

  [ Regression potential ]

  Minimal, the update uses the exact same methods to accomplish the end
  result of recording the hostname as before, we have only re-ordered
  when the events occur to ensure successful operation.

  [racb] A new service is added in packaging. Users who have overridden
  existing services to change behaviour (eg. "disable all OVS-related
  services") may have that configuration not have the same effect after
  this update (eg. "I thought I disabled all OVS-related services but
  what's this ovs-record-hostname thing now?")

  [ Other Info ]

  A possible solution to this would be to extend the upstream `ovs-ctl`
  script to allow controlling when the hostname is recorded and adding a
  new Systemd service file to the package that calls the `record-
  hostname` function at a more appropriate time, i.e. after or as part
  of the `network-online.target`.

  An example of downstream issues can be viewed in bug 1896630.

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