6.7

Table Of Contents
Deploying OVF and OVA
Templates 3
You can export virtual machines, virtual appliances, and vApps in Open Virtual Format (OVF) and Open
Virtual Appliance (OVA) . You can then deploy the OVF or OVA template in the same environment or in a
different environment.
Note In vSphere 6.5 and later, you cannot export OVA templates, OVF templates is the only option.
In previous versions of vSphere, you needed to install the Client Integration Plug-in to deploy and export
OVF or OVA templates. vSphere 6.5 no longer requires that you install the Client Integration Plug-in to
export OVF templates or to deploy OVF and OVA templates.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
OVF and OVA File Formats and Templates
n
Deploy an OVF or OVA Template
n
Export an OVF Template
n
Browse VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace
OVF and OVA File Formats and Templates
OVF is a file format that supports exchange of virtual appliances across products and platforms. OVA is a
single-file distribution of the same file package.
The OVF and OVA formats offer the following advantages:
n
OVF and OVA files are compressed, allowing for faster downloads.
n
The vSphere Client validates an OVF or OVA file before importing it, and ensures that it is compatible
with the intended destination server. If the appliance is incompatible with the selected host, it cannot
be imported and an error message appears.
n
OVF and OVA can encapsulate multi-tiered applications and more than one virtual machine.
Exporting OVF or OVA templates allows you to create virtual appliances that can be imported by other
users. You can use the export function to distribute pre-installed software as a virtual appliance, or to
distributing template virtual machines to users. You can make the OVF or OVA file available to users who
cannot access your vCenter Server inventory.
VMware, Inc.
51