5.5

Table Of Contents
Provisioning an Organization 4
The vCloud API provides several ways for you to make vApp templates, vApps, media images, and
independent disks available to users in a vCloud Director organization.
The vCloud API allows you to upload and download OVF packages and ISO-format media images.
Operations are characterized as uploads when they transfer content from a vCloud API client system to a
target catalog in a vCloud Director organization, and as downloads when a vCloud API client requests the
transfer of content from vCloud Director. A POST request initiates an upload, and a GET request initiates a
download. The vCloud Director transfer service facilitates uploads and downloads and provides temporary
storage for files. Uploaded vApp templates and media images are made available as catalog items in the
target catalog.
In addition to uploading, you can use the following operations to provision an organization with vApp
templates, vApps, and media images:
Cloning
The vCloud API cloneVApp operation creates a copy of a vApp in a specified
VDC. You can specify whether to delete the source vApp after the operation
completes. Deleting the source vApp after cloning it moves or renames it.
Capturing
The vCloud API captureVApp operation creates a vApp template from a
vApp and places the template in a specified catalog.
Importing
A system administrator can import a virtual machine from a vCenter server
that is registered to the cloud. You can import the virtual machine as a vApp
or as a vApp template. You can add an imported template to a catalog or
download it as an OVF package.
Subscribing
Organizations that have the appropriate permissions can create catalogs with
external subscriptions. These contents of these catalogs are downloaded from
a catalog hosted on another instance of vCloud Director, or any Web site that
implements the VMware Content Subscription Protocol. See “Create a
Catalog With an External Subscription,” on page 203.
You can also create independent disks that are contained by an organization VDC and can be connected to
any virtual machine in that VDC.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Summary of vCloud API Provisioning Requests,” on page 56
n
“Upload an OVF Package to Create a vApp Template,” on page 58
n
“Download a vApp or vApp Template as OVF,” on page 68
n
“Upload a Media Image,” on page 72
n
“Download a Media Image,” on page 74
VMware, Inc.
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