Inporting OVA via PowerCLI

[arbware]

Does anyone know how to import an OVA file via PowerCLI?

I have tried the command

> Import-VApp -Source "C:\winxp.ova" -VMHost 10.253.253.132 -Datastore datastore1

And get the fallowing error

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere PowerCLI

Import-VApp -Source "C:\winxp.ova" -VMHost 10.253.253.132 -Datastore datastore1

Import-VApp : 6/4/2010 2:08:57 PM Import-VApp Unable to get object by

name: not connected.

At line:1 char:12

+ Import-VApp <<<< -Source "C:\winxp.ova" -VM

Host 10.253.253.132 -Datastore datastore1

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidResult: (System.Collecti...s.VIAutomation

]:List`1) , ObnTerminatingException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_ObnSelector_GetClientListForObnParameter_No

DefaultServer,VMware.VimAutomation.VimAutomation.Commands.ImportVApp

Import-VApp : 6/4/2010 2:08:57 PM Import-VApp VMHost parameter: Canno

t find any of the objects specified by name.

At line:1 char:12

+ Import-VApp <<<< -Source "c:\winxp.ova" -VM

Host 10.253.253.132 -Datastore datastore1

+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (VMware.VimAutomation.Types.VMHo

st VMHost:RuntimePropertyInfo) , ObnRecordProcessingFailedExc

eption

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Core_ObnSelector_SetNewParameterValue_ObjectNotF

oundCritical,VMware.VimAutomation.VimAutomation.Commands.ImportVApp

[RvdNieuwendijk]

The problem is that the Import-VApp parameters requires VMware objects instead of strings. You should do something like:

Connect-VIserver -Server <YourVIServer> -Credential (Get-Credential)
$VMhost = Get-VMHost -Name <YourVMHostname>
$Datastore = Get-Datastore -Name <YourDatastoreName> -VMHost $VMHost
Import-VApp -Source "C:\winxp.ova" -VMHost $VMHost -Datastore $Datastore

Regards, Robert

[arbware]

This is what i came up with -

Connect-VIserver -Server 10.253.253.132 -Credential (Get-Credential)

$VMhost = Get-VMHost -Name 10.253.253.132

$Datastore = Get-Datastore -Name datastore1 -VMHost $VMHost

Import-VApp -Source "c:\PE-winxp.ova" -VMHost $VMHost -Datastore $Datastore

This is the error i recived after running the above

Import-VApp : 6/4/2010 3:15:38 PM Import-VApp 52531b20-e3f3-c44d-87a8-847

ca2b8eb9a Exception of type 'System.OutOfMemoryException' was thrown.

At line:1 char:12

+ Import-VApp <<<< -Source "c:\PE-winxp.ova" -VMHost $VMHost -Datastore $Datas

tore

+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: ( , ViError

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_VappServiceImpl_ExportVApp_Error,VMware

.VimAutomation.VimAutomation.Commands.ImportVApp

[RvdNieuwendijk]

It seems that the PC on which you run this script has not enough memory to perfom the import. Maybe you can try the script on another PC or server with more memory?

[arbware]

i thought the same thing, but the box that i tired it on has 12gb of memory.

[RvdNieuwendijk]

If 12 Gb is not enough then I don't know how much memory you will need. The System.OutOfMemoryException is definitely a Windows error message issued by .NET. See: OutOfMemoryException Class.

[admin · Accepted solution]

Hello,

Import-VApp supports only OVF format. The problem that you hit is that the cmdlet does not validate the input files by extension and tries to load OVA although it cannot import it.

We've already know about this issue and in the next PowerCLI release this validation is done and the cmdlet says that it can import only OVF.

Vitali

[arbware]

Do you know of any way to script the import of an OVA file?

[admin]

Hi again,

The OVA is a tar file that contains OVF, MF and all VMDK files. So you can use any un-tar utility and after that to use Import-vApp commandlet passing the OVF to -Source parameter.

For more information about OVF/OVA refer to http://www.vmware.com/appliances/getting-started/learn/ovf.html, see Open Virtualization Format Specification

At point 5.3 Distribution as a Single File it is written that:

"An OVF package may be stored as a single file using the TAR format. The extension of that file shall be .ova (open virtual appliance or application)."

Vitali

[arbware]

the best way i found to do this is through the OVF tools and use the basic command (see below)

ovftool &lt;options&gt; &lt;source locator&gt; &lt;target locator&gt;