STRUCT OVPN_PEER(9)

✨ NAME ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the struct ovpn_peer(9) page from the Kernel API Manual — she's the main remote peer object and the moment is absolutely hers 👑💅

💖 SYNOPSIS 💖

no cap, here's the exact struct, because we do not mess with C definitions:

struct ovpn_peer {
    struct ovpn_priv *ovpn;
    netdevice_tracker dev_tracker;
    u32 id;
    u32 tx_id;
    struct {
      struct in_addr ipv4;
      struct in6_addr ipv6;
    } vpn_addrs;
    struct hlist_node hash_entry_id;
    struct hlist_nulls_node hash_entry_addr4;
    struct hlist_nulls_node hash_entry_addr6;
    struct hlist_nulls_node hash_entry_transp_addr;
    struct ovpn_socket *sock;
    struct {
      struct strparser strp;
      struct sk_buff_head user_queue;
      struct sk_buff_head out_queue;
      bool tx_in_progress;
      struct {
        struct sk_buff *skb;
        int offset;
        int len;
      } out_msg;
      struct {
        void (*sk_data_ready)(struct sock *sk);
        void (*sk_write_space)(struct sock *sk);
        struct proto *prot;
        const struct proto_ops *ops;
      } sk_cb;
      struct work_struct defer_del_work;
    } tcp;
    struct ovpn_crypto_state crypto;
    struct dst_cache dst_cache;
    struct ovpn_route_key route_key;
    seqcount_spinlock_t route_key_seq;
    struct ovpn_bind *bind;
    unsigned long keepalive_interval;
    unsigned long keepalive_xmit_exp;
    time64_t last_sent;
    unsigned long keepalive_timeout;
    unsigned long keepalive_recv_exp;
    time64_t last_recv;
    struct ovpn_peer_stats vpn_stats;
    struct ovpn_peer_stats link_stats;
    enum ovpn_del_peer_reason delete_reason;
    spinlock_t lock;
    struct kref refcount;
    struct rcu_head rcu;
    struct llist_node release_entry;
    struct work_struct keepalive_work;
 };

she's long, she's nested, she's got a whole TCP situation inside her, and she ate 💅✨

🌸 Members 🌸

field-by-field, bestie — every single one gets her moment:

• ovpn — main openvpn instance this peer belongs to.
• dev_tracker — reference tracker for associated dev.
• id — unique identifier, used to match incoming packets.
• tx_id — identifier to be used in TX packets.
• vpn_addrs — IP addresses assigned over the tunnel.
  • vpn_addrs.ipv4 — IPv4 assigned to peer on the tunnel.
  • vpn_addrs.ipv6 — IPv6 assigned to peer on the tunnel.
• hash_entry_id — entry in the peer ID hashtable.
• hash_entry_addr4 — entry in the peer IPv4 hashtable.
• hash_entry_addr6 — entry in the peer IPv6 hashtable.
• hash_entry_transp_addr — entry in the peer transport address hashtable.
• sock — the socket being used to talk to this peer.
• tcp — keeps track of TCP specific state.
  • tcp.strp — stream parser context (TCP only).
  • tcp.user_queue — received packets that have to go to userspace (TCP only).
  • tcp.out_queue — packets on hold while socket is taken by user (TCP only).
  • tcp.tx_in_progress — true if TX is already ongoing (TCP only).
  • tcp.out_msg.skb — packet scheduled for sending (TCP only).
  • tcp.out_msg.offset — offset where next send should start (TCP only).
  • tcp.out_msg.len — remaining data to send within packet (TCP only).
  • tcp.sk_cb.sk_data_ready — pointer to original cb (TCP only).
  • tcp.sk_cb.sk_write_space — pointer to original cb (TCP only).
  • tcp.sk_cb.prot — pointer to original prot object (TCP only).
  • tcp.sk_cb.ops — pointer to the original prot_ops object (TCP only).
• crypto — the crypto configuration (ciphers, keys, etc..).
• dst_cache — cache for dst_entry used to send to peer.
• route_key — route key matching the current dst cache contents.
• route_key_seq — seqcount protecting lockless route_key reads.
• bind — remote peer binding.
• keepalive_interval — seconds after which a new keepalive should be sent.
• keepalive_xmit_exp — future timestamp when next keepalive should be sent.
• last_sent — timestamp of the last successfully sent packet.
• keepalive_timeout — seconds after which an inactive peer is considered dead.
• keepalive_recv_exp — future timestamp when the peer should expire.
• last_recv — timestamp of the last authenticated received packet.
• vpn_stats — per-peer in-VPN TX/RX stats.
• link_stats — per-peer link/transport TX/RX stats.
• delete_reason — why peer was deleted (i.e. timeout, transport error, ..).
• lock — protects binding to peer (bind), route_key and keepalive* fields.
• refcount — reference counter.
• rcu — used to free peer in an RCU safe way.
• release_entry — entry for the socket release list.
• keepalive_work — used to schedule keepalive sending.

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

go give these a little read, bestie:

• Kernel file ./drivers/net/ovpn/peer.h — struct ovpn_route_key(9), ovpn_peer_hold(9), ovpn_peer_put(9)

mwah 💋 this page is brought to you by ./drivers/net/ovpn, dated October 2026, and titled struct ovpn_peer(9) — now go hydrate and be iconic 🫶✨