VMware VCLOUD API 1.0 - API

VMware, Inc. 203
A
TheOpenVirtualizationFormat(OVF)isanopen,portable,efficientandextensibleformatforpackagingand
distributingvirtualsystems.OVFwasdevelopedbytheDistributedManagementTaskForce(DMTF),a
not‐for‐profitassociationofindustrymembersdedicatedtopromotingenterpriseandsystemsmanagement
andinteroperability.Formoreinformationaboutthe
DMTFandOVF,visithttp://www.dmtf.org.
ThevCloudAPIsupportsVersion1oftheOVFstandard.Inparticular,itsupportsuploadingand
downloadingvApptemplatesasOVFpackages.Inaddition,vApp,Vm,andvAppTemplateelements
incorporateanumberofovf:Section_Typeelementsintheirdefinitionsofvirtualmachines(see“Section”
onpage 163
fordetailsonhowthesesectionsareused).
Thisappendixincludesthefollowingtopics:
 “A b o u t OVF”onpage 203
 “HowthevCloudAPIUsesOVF”onpage 204
About OVF
Becauseitisawidelyacceptedstandardformat,OVFprovidesconsiderableflexibilityinaccommodatingthe
needsofadiversecollectionofvirtualizationtechnologies.Whilethisflexibilityentailsmorecomplexitythan
avendor‐specificformatmightrequire,italsoprovidesmanyadvantages.
 VirtualmachinesandappliancesaredistributedasOVFpackagesbymanyvendors.
 Manyvendors,includingVMware,offertoolsthatsimplifycreatingandcustomizingOVFvirtual
machines,supportconvertingvirtualmachinesonexistingvirtualizationplatformstoOVF,orboth.
 OVFhasthepowertoexpressthecomplexrelationshipsbetweenvirtualappliancesinenterprise
applications.Mostofthecomplexitycanbehandledbytheauthoroftheapplianceratherthantheuser
deployingit.
 OVFisextensible,allowingnewpoliciesandrequirementstobeinsertedbyISVsandimplementedby
thevirtualizationplatformsthatsupportthemwithoutrequiringchangestootherclients,otherplatforms,
orthevCloudAPIitself.
WhilemostusersdonotneedtointeractdirectlywiththeOVF‐derivedelementsofthe
vCloudAPI,
administratorsandadvancedusersshouldbecomefamiliarwiththedetailsoftheOVFstandardbefore
developingapplicationswiththevCloudAPI.ThischapterprovidesanoverviewofOVF,onethat
concentratesontheaspectsofthestandardthatareofspecialinteresttousersofthevCloudAPI.The
complete
OVFspecificationdocumentisavailableat
http://www.dmtf.org/standards/published_documents/DSP0243_1.0.0.pdf.Aninformativewhitepaperon
OVFisavailableathttp://www.dmtf.org/standards/published_documents/DSP2017_1.0.0.pdf.
OVF and the vCloud API
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NOTEThevCloudAPIsupportsuploadingOVF1.0andOVF1.1,anddownloadingOVF1.0.OVF1.1
packagesareconvertedtoOVF1.0fordownload.