Generic CloudTemplate or XaaS workflows for OVA deployments?

[Enter123]

Hi,

has anyone found a way to create a generic CloudTemplate or XaaS workflow and deploy different OVA templates using that?

In vRA7 I had a XaaS workflow which would ask users to upload their OVA to ftp server and after that OVA would be offered on a dropdown menu for them. After selecting it, it would get deployed in vCenter without OS customization, but renamed and attached to the selected network. Deployment would be added to to vRA and users could connect via console to customize further their VM.

Any other way recommended and better for vRA 8? Any advice?

Thanks

[Ankush11s]

you can follow similar approach in Aria Automation Cloud /On-Prem
you can use web server and upload your ova/ovf .
for drop down , choose below syntax 

inputs:
  chooseova:
    type: string
    enum:
     - ovf_url1
     - ovf_url2

Later you can use this in cloud template for imageref parameter:

resources:
  WebTier:
    type: Cloud.vSphere.Machine
    properties:
      name: wordpress
      imageref: '${input.chooseova}'

Here is my reference blog as well , where I am using imageref. 
 https://vmwarecode.com/2022/03/27/how-to-deploy-vra-cloud-extensibility-proxy-appliance-using-self-s...

[Enter123]

I was hoping someone found a way to offer on a dropdown menu all OVAs which are available in vCenter. Just like when you work with Image Mappings and after selecting Account/Region you can "Search for images" and you get everything what is available in that vCenter.

But thanks. 

[Ankush11s · Accepted solution]

OVFs in cloud template  via content library does not support in Aria Automation currently when we want to update property at runtime.
If you do not have any properties to be updated then you can bound ova to image mapping itself.

If OVFs are coming from web server , not from content library , then you can create external vRO action to pull list of url if it allows

[Ankush11s]

@Enter123 did above information help , if yes , Please mark this thread resolved as it would help to track unanswered queries