A virtual appliance (VA) is a virtual machine image containing a pre-configured operating system running a specific software layer. Unlike traditional hardware appliances, virtual appliances simplify deployment and time to market of pre-integrated solutions.
There is a large volume of free virtual appliances available from the various VA Marketplaces, for example: TechRepublic, which come in either OVF or OVA format. Open Virtualization Format (OVF) contains the individual descriptor file .ovf, the manifest file .mf and the machine disk state file .vmdk. The Open Virtualization Appliance is a single compressed file containing all of the individual OVF files.
Users can export any existing virtual machine into the OVF or OVF format for transport and distribution (OVF/OVA import).
In this guide we will look at how to create a Virtual Appliance (VA Export) and how to deploy a Virtual Appliance to an existing vCenter managed cluster (VA Import).
There is a large volume of free virtual appliances available from the various VA Marketplaces, for example: TechRepublic, which come in either OVF or OVA format. Open Virtualization Format (OVF) contains the individual descriptor file .ovf, the manifest file .mf and the machine disk state file .vmdk. The Open Virtualization Appliance is a single compressed file containing all of the individual OVF files.
Users can export any existing virtual machine into the OVF or OVF format for transport and distribution (OVF/OVA import).
In this guide we will look at how to create a Virtual Appliance (VA Export) and how to deploy a Virtual Appliance to an existing vCenter managed cluster (VA Import).
