Open Virtualization Format (OVF) is a platform independent, efficient, extensible, and open packaging and distribution format for virtual machines. On the VirtualGuru blog, an extensive set of resources on OVF are offered for those interested in learning more and/or adopting this cross-platform, vendor independent distribution framework, which the blog's author contends does not just define simple, portable virtual machines.

"OVF (Open Virtualization Format) is framework originally proposed by VMware & XenSource with contributions from Dell, HP, IBM and Microsoft as neutral standard, later it was accepted as DMTF standard (Released on 23/Mar/2009)," the writer offers, and then sets forth a list of resource links. Below is a sampling, the blog does offer some commentary on these various categories and a second blog entry consolidates and reflects back to the initial entry:

OVF STANDARD SOURCES

VMware Sources

• Man Page: What is OVF?
• Open Virtualization Format Whitepaper (Older - Larger One)

DMTF Standard Pages

• Enabling Portability & Simplified Deployment of Virtual Appliances
• Open Virtualization Format (OVF) Version 1.0 Published as a DMTF Standard
• Virtualization Management (VMAN) Initiative Homepage (OVF amd CIM standards)

Other Sources

• Industry players working on standard for VMs (1997)
• Major Server Builders Opt For a Common Virtualization Standard (They target the "zero configuration virtualization" concept) (1997)
• Microsoft to Deliver a Platform Agnostic Standard for Virtualization (1997)
• Open Virtualization Format and virtual appliances (2008)
• Open Virtual Machine Format to benefit users (2008)
• A review of (Open Virtual Machine Format) OVF from a systems management perspective (2008)
• Reviewing DMTF OVF as a \'preliminary standard\' (2008)
• OVF in action: Kensho

REFERENCE IMPLEMENTATION OPEN-OVF

• Open OVF Proposal
• Open-OVF Homepage
• Open-OVF Command Line Interface

OVF TOOL IMPLEMENTATIONS

• VMware vCenter Converter (Version 3.x is for Windows only, Version 4.x also support Linux)
• VMware OVF tool (Originaly it was Java now it is a Linux/MS Windows tool ?)
• VMware Studio Virtual Appliances creation tool from VMware
• Open-OVF (Don't solve Virtual disk conversions)
• IBM\'s Open Virtualization Format Toolkit (Need Eclipse)
• Citrix Kensho Project

OVF IMPORT IMPLEMENTATIONS

• VMware ESX 3.5u3 and ESXi 3.5u3 support OVF
• All latest VMware Desktop Versions support OVF and OVA, local and net based
• Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.2.x (OVF only) (Beta 1 , Beta 2 and Pre-RR builds for now)

OVF EXPORT IMPLEMENTATION

• VMware Workstation 6.5.x (Have Converter Client)
• Sun xVM VirtualBox 2.2.x (Beta 1 for now) [...read more...]
  
  Keywords:

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  • Dell
  • HP
  • IBM
  • Java
  • Linux
  • Management
  • Sun xVM
  • VirtualBox
  • VMware
  • Windows
  • xVM VirtualBox
  
  

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  Other articles in the Virtualization section of Volume 137, Issue 1: Doing a Mobile Install of OpenSolaris and VirtualBox on a Laptop Resources for the Open Virtualization Format (this article) VirtualBox 3.0 Released See all archived articles in the Virtualization section.

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