Failed to import OVA with ISO attached on an HTTP ...

JL55 · ‎12-23-2019

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 · ‎12-29-2019

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.

Ashish Singh VCP-6.5, VCP-NV 6, VCIX-6,VCIX-6.5, vCAP-DCV, vCAP-DCD

ashishsingh1508 · ‎12-29-2019

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.

Ashish Singh VCP-6.5, VCP-NV 6, VCIX-6,VCIX-6.5, vCAP-DCV, vCAP-DCD

View solution in original post

JL55 · ‎01-01-2020

ashishsingh1508

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

otgoo1 · ‎02-21-2022

Tnx

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