There is unfortunately a bug in OVF Tool 3.0.1 on Mac that causes OVF Tool not to work if the current directory is not the same as the installation directory! For example, if you have made a symbolic link to OVF Tool or have OVF Tool in the path, you will see the following error:

Hi All,

Everytime I manually export a VM using vsphere client, I am getting the resultant ovf of much larger size. ( i.e. size of .vmdk's are much larger, increases by 10% everytime )
I looked at various temporary files and log files and deleted them before taking the ovf, but it also doesnt reduces the size significantly.
My vm doesnt do any huge IO on the disks.

Is there a best practice for exporting an ovf .? ( Ex. SLES based vms. )

Thanks

Nikunj

Hi,

I am getting below error while depoying a OVF template. Please suggest.

Failed to Deploy:Unable to access file: server1.vmdk.
The process cannot access the file "fullpath of vmdkfile\server1.vmdk' because it is being used by another process.

Hi i've an OVF virtual appliance with hardware version 4 how can i upgrade it to hardware version 7 and convert to OVA as well? it seems ovftools does not have the ability to upgrade to a higher hardware version.

Any suggestions how i can perform such a task?

Thanks for any info

Hi Guys,

I want to get some feed back about the below stack trace after setting the --X:logfile and loglevel

and then if fails.  I'm not sure why this is happening from my another machine.  I have the same thing running fine from my Win 7 machine.

Any help on why this is happening?

-Mahesh

Hi All,

I'm unable to get ovftool to export a vm from my server that has spaces in the path to the vmx file.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks!

On the server:

~ # vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms

Vmid Name             File Guest                              OS Version     Annotation

112  ar-vm            [sata3] har_vm/har_vm.vmx                rhel5_64Guest  vmx-07

16   eluefin          [sata1] eluefin/eluefin.vmx              rhel4_64Guest  vmx-07

32   igloo (RH5)      [sata0] igloo (RH5)/igloo (RH5).vmx      rhel5_64Guest  vmx-07           

When I try to export "igloo (RH5)":

C:\OVF_Tool>ovftool.exe  --compress=9 --X:logToConsole "vi://root:doublesecret@hoo.lgc.com/ha-datacenter?ds=[sata0] igloo (RH5)/igloo (RH5).vmx" F:\igloo

2013-05-23T12:55:47.089-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] [SSL_DB] Using C:\Users\owjune\AppData\Roaming\VMware\ovftool_SSLDB as SSL DB

2013-05-23T12:55:47.105-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Subscribing to signal: 2 (SIGINT)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.105-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Subscribing to signal: 4 (SIGILL)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Subscribing to signal: 22 (SIGABRT)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Subscribing to signal: 8 (SIGFPE)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Subscribing to signal: 15 (SIGTERM)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] OvfTool Version: VMware ovftool 3.0.1 (build-801290)

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Using home directory: C:\Users\owjune\AppData\Roaming\VMware\ovftool.cfg

2013-05-23T12:55:47.120-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] OvfTool Environment:

--> /X:httpTimeout = "0"

--> /X:imageReadSize = "262144"

--> /X:logToConsole = "true"

--> /X:maxNumberOfTermSignals = "5"

--> /X:maxRedirects = "256"

--> /X:maximalDeltaConfSize = "8"

--> /X:maximalDeltaTreeSize = "6"

--> /X:progressSmoothing = "60"

--> /X:useMacNaming = "false"

--> /X:vCloudEnableGuestCustomization = "false"

--> /X:vCloudKeepTemplate = "true"

--> /X:vCloudTimeout = "3600"

--> /X:vimSessionTimeout = "600"

--> /authdPortSource = "902"

--> /authdPortTarget = "902"

--> /compress = "9"

--> /fencedMode = "bridged"

--> /prgPath = "C:\OVF_Tool"

--> /source = "vi://root:doublesecret@hoo.lgc.com/ha-datacenter?ds=[sata0] igloo (RH5)/igloo (RH5).vmx"

--> /target = "F:\igloo"

--> /vCloudTemplate = "false"

-->

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Done initializing libs

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Determining source

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Determining target

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000000'] HttpConnectionPoolImpl created. maxPoolConnections = 20; idleTimeout = 900000000; maxOpenConnections = 20; maxConnectionAge = 0

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Getting http page: https://hoo.lgc.com/sdk/vimServiceVersions.xml

2013-05-23T12:55:47.152-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Proxy host

2013-05-23T12:55:47.167-05:00 [00756 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03816 verbose 'Default'] CURL: header data removed

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] [ViConnection] Using vim API version: 4.1

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [02168 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.183-05:00 [03780 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.198-05:00 [03920 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.198-05:00 [03192 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.198-05:00 [02752 info 'Default'] Thread attached

2013-05-23T12:55:47.245-05:00 [02908 verbose 'HttpConnectionPool-000001'] HttpConnectionPoolImpl created. maxPoolConnections = 1; idleTimeout = 900000000; maxOpenConnections = 1; maxConnectionAge = 0

2013-05-23T12:55:47.261-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Keeping VI session alive

Opening VI source: vi://root@hoo.lgc.com:443/ha-datacenter

2013-05-23T12:55:47.432-05:00 [02908 verbose 'Default'] Backtrace:

--> backtrace[00] rip 000007fef141722a

--> backtrace[01] rip 000007fef12df578

--> backtrace[02] rip 000007fef12e078e

--> backtrace[03] rip 000007fef129266b

--> backtrace[04] rip 000007feeeb0d3d1

--> backtrace[05] rip 000007fef0f703b8

--> backtrace[06] rip 000007fef0f707e9

--> backtrace[07] rip 000007fef0f8efbe

--> backtrace[08] rip 000007feee8b024e

--> backtrace[09] rip 000000013f83824d

--> backtrace[10] rip 000000013f7aca0d

--> backtrace[11] rip 000000013f7ad04a

--> backtrace[12] rip 000000013fa3a426

--> backtrace[13] rip 0000000076b5b1bd

--> backtrace[14] rip 0000000076d66861

-->

Error: vim.fault.FileNotFound

Completed with errors

Hi!

I'm trying to to deploy a OVF/OVA file into my vCenter but I'm getting a error message, pls help me.

"Line 61: No space left for device '5' on parent controller '4'."

(Tested to deploy other templates and it worked fine)

Any idea anyone?

Hi,

I have created a Video Tutorial for Beginners to show 'How to use ovftool command line utility'

fosshelp: How to use ovftool command line utility

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuvHfB6BdJk

Thanks,

I have downloaded and installed the OVF tool but when i try and copy/deploy the OVF to the server i get a message below.

Error: Failed to open OVF descriptor

Completed with errors

Any help you guys can give would be great. thanks

Hi all ...I'm not sure if this is the correct place to post this question and I'm hoping someone could plase advise me as to how to do this.

I created a nested ESXi 5.5b VM.The VM is not connected to a vCenter as yet and it may or may not be connected based on whether or not I want to join it to a vCenter or not.

I then set the vAPP options to enable for the VM settings.

I then set various advanced properties for the VM.

I now have a Python script (I named it test2.py) which collects the properties from an OVA during it's deployment , the script then uses the info collected from the properties and applies them in commands at the cli.

I use this info to alter things like the Hostname, DNS, IP and other info inside the VM.

This all works successfully.

I would like to have the script start/run-once at boot time after the vAPP is deployed.

How do I do this ? and where to I place the script ? so that is does not get deleted or destroyed when the ova gets created and then deployed.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Den

Installed ovftool 3.5 on CentOS 5.9.  Install went without any errors, says Installation Successful.

Running ovftool yields about 5 errors similar to:

/usr/lib/vmware-ovftool/ovftool.bin: /usr/lib64/libstdc++.so.6: version `GLIBCXX_3.4.9' not found (required by /usr/lib/vmware-ovftool/libvmomi.so)

CentOS 5.9 doesn't support GLIBC 3.4.

The ovftool documentation says it supports CentOS 5 and 6.

What's the problem here?

HI

I got Workstation 7.1.5

I want to migrate my VM on to Esxi5.5

I tried to convert .vmx to .ovf with Command (ovftool E:\VM\VM4\VM4.vmx E:\OVF\OVF4\VM4.ovf)

But its failing with error :

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool>ovftool E:\VM\VM4\VM4.vmx E:\OVF\OVF4\VM

4.ovf

Opening VMX source: E:\VM\VM4\VM4.vmx

Error: Failed to open disk: Windows Server 2008 x64-cl2.vmdk

Completed with errors

I inserted eula file in ova file by ovftool command "eula@=[filename]".

But i dont know how to insert multi laguage eula.

How do I do that with the ovftool command?

I'm getting wildly different results while importing large OVF file into vCloud Director 1.0.1 via the ovftool than when performing the upload of the same OVF via the native JAva tool within vCloud Director itself. AS long as the file transfer compeltes through the vCD Java tool, the file is importing into vCenter correctly, and then being correctly registered within vCD.

The OVF I'm working with is 68.2 GB in size.

Below is a sanatized version of my command line and the output from the tool:

ovftool --net:"dvportgroup-48=company-Services_Internal" E:\OlioWebtest\oliowebtest.ovf "vcloud://user:password@testvcd1.company.com:443/?org=company_Services&vapp=OlioWebTest&vdc=company_Services_ALLO_vDC01&catalog=test"
Opening OVF source: E:\OlioWebtest\oliowebtest.ovf
The manifest validates
Warning: File is not referred in the manifest: oliowebtest.ovf
Opening vCloud target: vcloud://user@testvcd1.company.com:443/
Waiting for task on server .done
Deploying to vCloud: vcloud://user@testvcd1.company.com:443/
Disk Transfer Completed

Error: Invalid response from server
Completed with errors

Looking in the vCD GUI logs for the organization, I see the descriptor being processed, and the process for finalizing the upload completing, but the vApp is never added to the catalog. If I look in vCenter, I can find the VM on a valdi datastore for the org vDC and the correct resource pool in the proper state for a catalog vApp. The error "Error: Invalid response from server" is displayed immediately upon completion of the data transfer.

If I move the VM to the root of the datacenter, I can import the VM as a vApp and copy it to the caalog with no issue.

I tested with a much smaller OVF (1.3 GB), and received exactly the behavior I expected.

ovftool --net:"none=company-Services_Internal" E:\suse\descriptor.ovf "vcloud://user:password@testvcd1.company.com:443/?org=company_Services&vapp=SUSE32&vdc=company_Services_ALLO_vDC01&catalog=test"
Opening OVF source: E:\suse\descriptor.ovf
Warning: No manifest file
Opening vCloud target: vcloud://user@testvcd1.company.com:443/
Waiting for task on server .done
Deploying to vCloud: vcloud://user@testvcd1.company.com:443/
Disk Transfer Completed

Waiting for task on server ...................done
Waiting for task on server .......................................done
Waiting for task on server ..done
Completed successfully

Looking at the succesful transfer, I see an additonal action logged in the GUI logs for the organization. After the finalization record, there is a "Create virtual application" event logged on the smaller transfer that is never logged on the larger transfer.

The only item I can think of from a vCloud Director standpoint is that that vCD logon sesion timeout has expired on the large transfer long before the additional tasks are issued to vCD resulting in the invalid response. Is this the case, or is something else going on?

When looking at the vcloud-container-info.log file on the cells doing the processing for the succesful imports, I see a whole string of commands being executed in the current logged on user context.

Hi,

I am deploying a VM using a OVA format. The  size of OVA format is 60 GB. Currently free space on my datastore is 388 GB.

At the time of selecting Disk Format type if shows me in red that the disk size required is 1 TB therefore you cannot select THICK provisioning.

Therefore, i selected THIN provisiong. It THIN provisioing i am showed that Estimated Disk Usage is 112 GB which is less than the free space available.

But even after selecting THIN proviosing at the time of deployment it throws an error that it cannot create disk as the size of disk is larger than the maximum specified limit. 

My block size is of 1 MB.

It appears that ovftool 3.0.1 has an issue while specifying the target datastore when importing an OVF when the VI is a vCenter 5.0 server with ESX 5.0 Update 1 hosts that have a large number of Datastores.  The cluster where this problem occurs has 148 Datastores.

Some datastores work, most don't.  This is a new problem since ovftool 2.0.1 worked fine when this cluster was at ESX 4.0 Update 3.

An example statement that will cause the problem (with all names replaced with "test" names):

"C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool\ovftool.exe" --acceptAllEulas --name="TestVM" --datastore="TestDatastore" --network=TestNetwork --vmFolder="TestFolder" http://192.168.0.1/public/ovfs/testvm.ovf vi://"username:password"@vcenter.test.com/"Data Center"/host/"HA and DRS"/Resources/"Test Resource Pool"

Hi,

Am trying to export an ova from a VM using ovftool.  Something along the lines of...

ovftool --prop:Version=100 --privateKey=./id_rsa.pem --eula@=./eula.txt vi://root:mypass@myserver.mydomain.com/myVM ./myOVA.ova

Everything looks good except that I haven't been able to define the 'Product', 'Version' and 'Vendor'  that appears in the initial dialog when customers deploy the template into a running ESX / vCenter instance.

Assume this must be a v common question but have not found how this might be done from the ovftool user guide (http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf301/ovftool-301-userguide.pdf) or the VMware communities.  Closest I've found is http://communities.vmware.com/thread/328504 which indicates that defining a vCenter vApp allow configurable properties to be set.

Is there any way to define these parameters via ovftool?  If not, is there a way to hack the .ova manually to define them?

Thanks in advance,

Frank.

I'm trying to import an OVA file with settable OVF properties for configuration (product key, network configuration) into vCloud with ovftool. It seems from the documentation that I should be using the --prop option to set these values, but they don't seem to get passed through vCloud to the deployed vApp, and the system gives an error about unconfigured properties when it tries to start up. I can go in the vCloud interface and manually enter them for my vApp, but I was hoping to automate the process with ovftool.

At first I thought the issue was that the properties where at the VM level instead of the vApp level, but changing the OVA in vSphere to move the properties to the vApp itself produces the same result. Using the same command to import the OVA directly into vSphere correctly sets the properties with either version.

Is setting of OVF properties for vCloud supported by ovftool? If so, what is the correct syntax?

Currently running:

ovftool -o --acceptAllEulas --prop:productkey="XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" --prop:ipaddress="10.146.3.1" --prop:netmask="255.255.0.0" --prop:gateway="10.146.1.254" vApp.ova vcloud://vclouddirector?org=IT&vdc=IT&catalog=IT&vapp=test1

Thanks.

Hi Everyone,

I was trying to deploy a VM using the ovftool, I thought I would use the properties which are thrown from a "probe" of the OVA file.

ovftool http://server/files/builds/vpas/6.0.0/latest/vPAS-installer.ova

Properties:

  ClassId:     vami

  Key:         gateway

  InstanceId   vPAS

  Category:    Networking Properties

  Label:       Default Gateway

  Type:        string

  Description: The default gateway address for this VM. Leave blank if DHCP is

               desired.

  ClassId:     vami

  Key:         DNS

  InstanceId   vPAS

  Category:    Networking Properties

  Label:       DNS

  Type:        string

  Description: The domain name servers for this VM (comma separated). Leave

               blank if DHCP is desired.

  ClassId:     vami

  Key:         ip0

  InstanceId   vPAS

  Category:    Networking Properties

  Label:       Network 1 IP Address

  Type:        string

  Description: The IP address for this interface. Leave blank if DHCP is

               desired.

  ClassId:     vami

  Key:         netmask0

  InstanceId   vPAS

  Category:    Networking Properties

  Label:       Network 1 Netmask

  Type:        string

After having made sure that such properties exists from the probe, I tried to use them to give the VM a static IP post deployment, automatically.

ovftool --datastore="31_datastore" --acceptAllEulas --ipAllocationPolicy=fixedPolicy --name="vPAS_31_1" --powerOn --prop:ip0="172.16.121.115" --prop:netmask0="255.255.0.0" --prop:DNS="172.16.1.10" --prop:gateway="172.16.1.1" http://server/vpas/6.0.0/latest/vPAS-installer.ova vi://root:password@172.16.121.31/

Opening OVA source: http://server/files/builds/vpas/6.0.0/latest/vPAS-installer.ova

The manifest validates

Opening VI target: vi://root@172.16.121.31:443/

Deploying to VI: vi://root@172.16.121.31:443/

Transfer Completed                   

Powering on VM: vPAS_31_1

Warning:

- OVF property with key: 'DNS' does not exists.

- OVF property with key: 'gateway' does not exists.

- OVF property with key: 'ip0' does not exists.

- OVF property with key: 'netmask0' does not exists.

Completed successfully

Can someone please explain me whether this is a common problem ( from VMware ) or something I am doing wrong?

Thanks,

Greetings! Question in regards to OVFtool and how storage file systems are handled in VMWare.

I am using the OVFTool version 2.1.0 (Tried 3.5.0 with not much avail) to export multiple VMDK files or disks in a Virtual Machine (versions 7 and 8) to a multiple OVA files for each - at moment tool allows for consolidation of disks in a partitioned state into ONE OVA - Does anyone know of a work around or undocumented switch which can be used to create X # of virtual disks to X # of OVAs for import into another system?

Copying VMDKs is not a viable option in this case as want to remain with OVA standards.

Thank you!