Failed to import OVA with ISO attached on an HTTP server using OVFTool 4.3

[JL55]

When I tried to use OVFTool 4.3 to import the OVA with an ISO attached that is on an HTTP server, it always failed with message:

Error: File (Ubuntu-file1.iso) could not be found.

This is my command:

ovftool \

     --X:logFile=/tmp/ovftool_503.log --X:logLevel=verbose --datastore="datastore1" \

     --noSSLVerify --acceptAllEulas --name="UbuntuWithCd" --diskMode=thin \

     "http://192.168.1.1:8000/vm/Ubuntu_with_cd.ova" \

     "vi://root:Compaq123@192.168.1.2"

Since the OVA is just a tar file, so I use `tar -tf` to check the file and it shows that the ISO file is ordered before the VMDK:

$ tar -tf Ubuntu_with_cd.ova

Ubuntu.ovf

Ubuntu.mf

Ubuntu-file1.iso

Ubuntu-disk1.vmdk

Also, based on the log, OVFTool seems to shows that it tries to download the VMDK first. So, I untar the original OVA and tar it again, with VMDK before ISO:

$ tar -tf Ubuntu_with_cd_vmdk_before_iso.ova
Ubuntu.ovf
Ubuntu.mf

Ubuntu-disk1.vmdk

Ubuntu-file1.iso

and then the import command succeeded. I think this is a bug?

[ashishsingh1508]

Hi @JL55

We at VMware are aware of this issue and a fix has already been identified.

We will be releasing a fixed version soon.

Also, OVF works fine, so you can use OVF instead of OVA.

Thanks for reporting this.

[ashishsingh1508 · Accepted solution]

JL55​

It seems the fixed version is already out.

Release Notes

Below is the release note:-

• OVF Tool fails to import OVA containing ISO image.When a virtual machine contains a reference to an ISO image, even when exported with "include image files" selected, deployment fails with "Unable to access file. End of OVA file reached while looking for ...iso."In this release OVF Tool was enhanced to handle import of OVA files containing an ISO image reference.

[JL55]

ashishsingh1508​

Thanks, I just tested with 4.3.0U1 and 4.3.0P1, both version can import the OVA without any issues.

[otgoo1]

Tnx