User’s Guide to Deploying vApps andVirtual Appliances
VMware Studio 2.6
This document supports the version of each product listed andsupports all subsequent versions until the document is replacedby a new edition. To check for more recent editions of thisdocument, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
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2 VMware, Inc.
User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances
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VMware, Inc. 3
Contents
About This Book 5
1 Overview of Appliances Created with VMware Studio 7About vApps and Virtual Appliances 7
Components of Virtual Appliances Created with VMware Studio 8
2 Deploying Your Virtual Appliance 9System Requirements 9
Distribution Formats 9
Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vSphere 10
Deploying a Virtual Appliance from ZIP 10
Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vCloud Director 11
First Start of the Virtual Appliance 11
Choosing Between DHCP and Static IP 12
Configuring a Static IP Address 12
Setting the Default Gateway 12
Setting the Host Name 13
Setting the DNS Servers 13
Configuring the Network Proxy 13
Configuring DHCP 13
Configuring an IPv6 Network 14
Setting the Time Zone 14
Virtual Appliances Based on Windows 14
3 Managing a Virtual Appliance 15Exploring a Virtual Appliance 15
Using the Command Line 16
Exploring vApps in the vSphere Client 16
Shutting Down or Rebooting the Virtual Appliance 16
Setting the Time Zone 17
Network Configuration 17
Setting a Proxy Server 18
Choosing Between DHCP and Static Network Addresses 18
Configuring IPv6 Networks 18
Name Service 19
Firewall Security 19
Troubleshooting 19
4 Updating a Virtual Appliance 21Types of Updates 21
Update Tab Status and Settings 21
Checking Version Status 21
Installing Available Updates 22
Setting Update Policies 22
Setting Update Source 22
Using the Command Line for Updates 22
Specifying Update Repository 23
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5 Managing Virtual Appliances with vCenter Server 25Requirements for Update Manager 25
Virtual Appliance Baselines 26
Creating Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baselines 26
Attaching Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baselines 26
Scanning Virtual Appliances 27
Doing a Manual Scan 27
Scheduling a Scan 27
Viewing Scan Results 28
Reviewing Scan Results for Virtual Appliances Contained in a vSphere Object 28
Reviewing Scan Results for an Individual Virtual Appliance 29
Remediating Virtual Appliances 29
Virtual Appliance Recognition 30
Appendix 31VMware Platform Products for OVF and OVA 31
Compatibility for Virtual Appliances and vApps 31
Index 33
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This book, the User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances, describes how to deploy and manage
vApps and virtual appliances built with VMware Studio. This guide is intended for VMware users who are
installing, running, and updating vApps and virtual appliances created by VMware Studio.
Revision HistoryThis book is revised with each release of the product or when necessary. A revised version can contain minor
or major changes. Table 1 summarizes the significant changes in each version of this book.
VMware provides several SDK products that target different developer communities and platform products.
For documentation about the various VMware SDK products and the latest version of this guide, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/sdk_pubs.html.
VMware Studio ForumIf you have questions about VMware Studio or want to interact with other users and developers, visit the
community forum at http://communities.vmware.com/community/vmtn/vam/studio?view=discussions.
For information about using OVF and vApps, go to the VMware blog at http://blogs.vmware.com/vapp/.
Intended AudienceThis manual is intended for end users of virtual appliances created using VMware Studio. It describes how
appliances built with VMware Studio can be deployed, managed, and updated. For information about creating
vApps and virtual appliances with VMware Studio, see the Developer’s Guide to Building vApps and Virtual
Appliances.
About This Book
Table 1. Revision History
Revision Description
2012‐03‐02 Revision for the VMware Studio 2.6 “Faraday” release.
2011‐04‐15 Major revision for the VMware Studio 2.5 “Edison” release.
2010‐11‐17 Internal version for the VMware Studio 2.1.1 update.
2010‐07‐13 Major revision for the VMware Studio 2.1 release.
2009‐08‐31 Final version for the VMware Studio 2.0 release
2009‐06‐29 Retitled User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances for Studio 2.0 Beta.
2008‐12‐16 Corrections made to first version, but no new material.
2008‐09‐05 First version of the Guide to Deploying Virtual Appliances for VMware Studio 1.0.
User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances
6 VMware, Inc.
VMware Technical Publications GlossaryVMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions
of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Document FeedbackVMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. Send your feedback to
Technical Support and Education ResourcesThe following sections describe the technical support resources available to you. To access the current versions
of other VMware books, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
Online and Telephone Support
To use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product and contract information, and
register your products, go to http://www.vmware.com/support.
Support Offerings
To find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs, go to
http://www.vmware.com/support/services.
VMware Professional Services
VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands‐on labs, case study examples, and course materials
designed to be used as on‐the‐job reference tools. Courses are available onsite, in the classroom, and live
online. For onsite pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting Services provides
offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your virtual environment. To access information about
education classes, certification programs, and consulting services, go to http://www.vmware.com/services.
VMware, Inc. 7
1
This chapter provides an overview of virtual appliances, and includes the following topics:
“About vApps and Virtual Appliances” on page 7
“Components of Virtual Appliances Created with VMware Studio” on page 8
VMware Studio is an integrated development tool that transforms existing software applications into vApps
and virtual appliances that are ready to run on VMware platform products. With VMware Studio, software
developers can easily package applications that are optimized for virtual environments. Users can quickly
deploy these virtual appliances, and datacenter administrators can manage them within vSphere.
About vApps and Virtual AppliancesA virtual appliance is a prebuilt software solution containing virtual machines and software applications that
are integrated, managed, and updated as a package. Unlike conventional hardware appliances, virtual
appliances are easy for users to acquire and deploy as a solution. Virtual appliances simplify the development
and distribution of software applications, and shorten implementation time.
In 2009 VMware introduced the vApp, a software solution optimized for cloud computing. A vApp can
contain multiple interoperating virtual machines and software applications that you can install and manage
as a unit. A vApp uses the industry standard Open Virtualization Format (OVF) 1.0 to encapsulate the
components of a multitier application, along with the operational policies associated with it. A vApp gives
application owners a way to describe policies that their datacenter or virtual cloud can interpret and run.
VMware Studio helps developers build and maintain production‐ready vApps and virtual appliances with
applications that are not tied to particular hardware. Linux‐based virtual appliances built with Studio contain
an in‐guest management component called the Virtual Appliance Management Infrastructure (VAMI). VAMI
provides a Web console and command‐line interface to perform the following tasks:
Configure network settings and review system information for the virtual appliance
Stop or restart the virtual appliance
Check for updates and install them over the network or from CDROM, immediately or on a schedule
An independent software vendor (ISV) can customize the Web console to provide an immediate link to the
application’s Web interface. For a vApp, VAMI can enforce boot order and run priority. VAMI also integrates
seamlessly into vCenter Server and VMware vCenter Update Manager.
VMware Studio can also build Windows‐based virtual appliances, but they do not contain the VAMI agent.
VMware Studio builds virtual appliances that are portable across VMware platform products, and which can
be updated or patched remotely, if the appliance developer enabled the update repository. This update facility
does not require use of Update Manager.
VMware Studio produces virtual appliances in Open Virtualization Format (OVF), OVA (archive OVF), or ZIP.
Generated OVF files conform to the OVF 0.9 draft specification or the OVF 1.0 standard. OVF 1.0 is required
for vApps. For information about OVF, see http://www.vmware.com/appliances/learn/ovf.html.
Overview of Appliances Created with VMware Studio 1
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Components of Virtual Appliances Created with VMware StudioFigure 1‐1 shows the components of a virtual appliance created with VMware Studio.
Figure 1-1. Virtual Appliance Created by VMware Studio
Virtual appliances created with VMware Studio contain the following components:
JeOS – Just enough Operating System. Virtual appliances built with VMware Studio uses the minimal
required packages, ensuring that virtual appliances have a small footprint and are relatively secure.
VMware Tools – VMware Studio installs VMware Tools during the build of virtual appliances to enhance
communication between VMware virtualization platforms and the virtual appliance.
VAMI – The in‐guest management component provides a Web console to manage the virtual appliance.
VAMI (Virtual Appliance Management Infrastructure) allows you to change network settings, update the
virtual appliance, and control the state of the system by shutdown and reboot, in addition to other
management services that an ISV adds. All the default management services provided by VAMI are
implemented as Common Information Model (CIM) Providers using Small Footprint CIM Broker (SFCB)
as a CIM Manager. CIM is a standard from Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF). For more
information on CIM and other DMTF standards, see http://www.dmtf.org.
The Web console interface based on VAMI, if included in a virtual appliance, is usually available at the
secure HTTP port 5480, https://hostname.or.ip.address:5480 for example.
Application – The ISV or hardware appliance vendor (HAV) creates the application. The application
performs the intended task for which the appliance is created.
You can manage virtual appliances using one or more of the following methods:
Virtual Appliance Web console – This connection provides a Web console to perform configuration and
maintenance tasks. A command‐line interface might be available on a different connection.
VMware vCenter Server – A CIM connection enables management by VMware vCenter Server (formerly
VirtualCenter) and Update Manager.
Third‐party management software – This connection may support third party management software to
control the virtual appliance.
NOTE Some of the interfaces listed above are not included in certain appliances.
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2
This chapter provides information about how to deploy a virtual appliance, and includes the following topics:
“System Requirements” on page 9
“Distribution Formats” on page 9
“Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vSphere” on page 10
“Deploying a Virtual Appliance from ZIP” on page 10
“Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vCloud Director” on page 11
“First Start of the Virtual Appliance” on page 11
System RequirementsVirtual appliances created by VMware Studio can be deployed on the following VMware platform products:
VMware ESX/ESXi 5.0, 4.1, 4.0, or 3.5 through vCenter Server 5.0, 4.1, or 4.0
VMware ESX/ESXi 3.5 through VMware VirtualCenter 2.5
VMware ESX/ESXi 5.0, 4.1, 4.0, or 3.5
VMware Workstation 7.1, 7.0.1, or 6.5.2 and VMware Player 3.1, 3.0, and 2.5
VMware Cloud Director 1.0
For Web console management, VMware Studio virtual appliances support the following Web browsers:
Internet Explorer
Mozilla Firefox
Google Chrome
Distribution FormatsYour virtual appliance may be distributed in one or more of the following formats:
A ZIP archive containing a VMX virtual machine file and one or more VMDK files
An OVF 0.9 file and one or more VMDK files (OVF 0.9 package)
An OVF 1.0 file and one or more VMDK files (OVF 1.0 package)
An OVA archive (an OVF 1.0 package in TAR format) except on vCloud Director
Your deployment method depends on the distribution format. For VMware Workstation, use ZIP as described
in “Deploying a Virtual Appliance from ZIP” on page 10.
For deployment in VMware vSphere (ESX/ESXi and vCenter Server), use OVF or OVA format as discussed in
the following section. For deployment on vCloud Director, use OVF 1.0 format.
Deploying Your Virtual Appliance 2
User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances
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Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vSphereIf you receive a virtual appliance in OVF 0.9 format, you can deploy it on VMware Infrastructure 3 or later.
If you get a vApp or virtual appliance in OVF 1.0 or OVA format, you must deploy it on VMware vSphere 4.
You can deploy an OVF or OVA either by specifying its URL in vSphere, or after downloading the OVF and
VMDK files (or the OVA archive) to your local disk.
To deploy a virtual appliance or vApp from OVF or OVA
1 In the VMware Infrastructure Client, select menu File > Virtual Appliance > Import.
In the VMware vSphere Client, select File > Deploy OVF Template.
2 Choose either Deploy from URL or Deploy from file, based on where the OVF or OVA is located.
3 To install the appliance, supply the requested information in the Import Virtual Appliance Wizard, and
accept the End User License Agreement (EULA).
On vSphere 4 when you deploy an OVF 1.0 or OVA produced by VMware Studio, you are prompted for
OVF networking properties, which configure networking for the vApp. You might be prompted for other
OVF properties that the ISV has defined to configure the application. For the OVF networking properties
to work, an IP Pool must be configured on the vCenter Server, and this configuration must be complete
before you power on the virtual appliance.
On platform products other than vSphere, appliances try to acquire an IP address from a DHCP server by
default. If you prefer a static IP address, see “Configuring a Static IP Address” on page 12.
4 Power on the virtual machine. In the case of a vApp, you can power on the entire vApp.
5 Continue with “First Start of the Virtual Appliance” on page 11.
If you receive your virtual appliance as a ZIP file containing a VMX file and one or more VMDK files, then you
must first convert the virtual appliance. VMware vCenter Converter Standalone Tool converts and imports the
virtual appliance directly into the vSphere inventory so that you can run it immediately. Converter is free and
available from the VMware Web site at http://vmware.com/products/converter/.
Deploying a Virtual Appliance from ZIPA ZIP distribution file contains a VMX file and one or more VMDK files. If you receive a distribution in ZIP
format, first unzip the file and then open the VMX file using either VMware Workstation or VMware Player.
To deploy a virtual appliance from ZIP
1 On the VMware platform product where the virtual appliance will run, extract the ZIP file into a folder.
For example, the extraction folder might be /var/lib/vmware/VirtualMachines on a Linux host, or C:\MyVirtualMachines on a Windows host.
2 In the VMware Workstation application menu, select File > Open.
3 Click Browse and navigate to the folder where you extracted the virtual appliance software. Select
<applianceName>.vmx and click Open.
The appliance appears as an entry in the Inventory.
4 In the Commands section, click Start.
5 Continue with “First Start of the Virtual Appliance” on page 11.
If you receive the virtual appliance as an OVF file, you can import it with the ovftool, which converts the OVF
and VMDK files into VMX and VMDK files which are compatible with VMware hosted products. The
ovftool is free and available on the VMware Web site at http://vmware.com/appliances/learn/ovf.html.
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Chapter 2 Deploying Your Virtual Appliance
Deploying a Virtual Appliance in VMware vCloud DirectorIf you receive a virtual appliance in OVF format, you can deploy it on VMware vCloud Director 1.0. However,
vCloud Director does not support OVA deployment.
To deploy a virtual appliance or vApp from OVF
1 In VMware vCloud Director Home page, click the Catalog tab.
2 Select the catalog from which you want to deploy the OVF.
3 On the vApp Templates tab in the selected catalog, click Upload.
The Upload OVF Package as a vApp Template dialog appears.
4 Click Browse to specify the OVF location.
5 Specify Name and Description for the OVF and select the vDC.
6 Click Upload.
To initialize the virtual appliance from the catalog
1 On the VMware vCloud Director Home page, click Add vApp from Catalog.
The Add vApp from Catalog dialog appears.
2 Select the vApp template from the Catalog drop‐down menu.
3 You must complete the steps in vCloud Director wizard to finish the initialization.
First Start of the Virtual ApplianceThis section describes how to power on a virtual appliance and accept or modify network settings.
To run the virtual appliance
1 On a VMware platform product, start the virtual appliance with the virtual machine Power On command.
As the appliance starts (except in vCenter Server 4) it may display the EULA. If it does, press space bar to
continue displaying more pages; at the end enter yes to accept the EULA. If the virtual appliance requests other information, such as a login password, provide it.
2 The virtual appliance’s IP address (from DHCP, an IP Pool, or OVF networking properties) may appear
on the welcome screen, and in the Summary tab of the vSphere Client. The welcome screen may display
the URL where you can access the Web console for appliance management. These menu selections appear:
LoginSet Timezone (Current:UTC)
The Configure Network menu item no longer appears in virtual appliances built by VMware Studio 2.6
and later.
3 Depending on how the developer set it up, the virtual appliance tries to acquire an IP address from a
DHCP server, the vSphere IP Pool, or with OVF networking properties.
(Optional) If you need a static IP address or a proxy, see “Configuring a Static IP Address” on page 12.
4 You can change the time zone, if the default UTC is unacceptable. See “Setting the Time Zone” on page 14.
5 If the URL of the Web console for appliance management appears on the welcome screen, you can point
your Web browser to this URL.
6 Log in to the management Web console using the same credentials that you would use for login to the
virtual appliance. You might be asked to configure a trust relationship for the self‐signed HTTP certificate.
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Choosing Between DHCP and Static IP
DHCP allows a virtual appliance to begin running as soon as possible. However, because the DHCP address
is temporary, it might be different if the virtual appliance is powered off for a long time before you power it
on again. The time period depends on DHCP lease expiration.
You may configure your VMware Studio appliance to use a static address, which remains the same after
restart. A static IP address allows all users of the appliance to be certain of its network address (and associated
host name) so they can connect to it predictably.
Configuring a Static IP Address
By default, VMware Studio (and virtual appliances it generates) retrieve network settings from a DHCP server.
To configure a static IP address for a virtual appliance, follow this procedure.
To configure a static IP address
1 On the Welcome screen of the virtual appliance’s text console, log in and type the following command:
# /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net
A menu appears with six choices (or more, if the appliance is configured for multiple network interfaces).
2 Type the menu number for the network interface you want to configure.
3 If the appliance has been configured with IPv6, it asks if you want to configure an IPv6 address.
a If so press y, otherwise accept the default n.
b The appliance asks if you want to use a DHCPv6 server. To configure a static IPv6 address instead,
accept the default n, rather than typing y.
On subsequent lines, enter the static IPv6 address and prefix. For IPv6 addresses you can type two
colons in a row (::) as shorthand for repeated zeros. The prefix designates the number of bits in the
routable network portion of the address.
If you answered y, the IPv6 address and prefix assignment are automatic.
c Press Enter if correct.
4 The appliance prompts you asking if you want to configure an IPv4 address.
a Enter y to configure an IPv4 address, otherwise accept the default n.
b The appliance asks if you want to use a DHCPv4 server. To configure a static IPv4 address instead,
type n, rather than accepting the default y.
On subsequent lines, enter the static IPv4 address and netmask in dotted decimal notation.
If you answered y, the IPv4 address and netmask assignment are automatic.
c Press Enter if correct.
5 For a static IP address, you probably need to set the default gateway, host name, and DNS servers, as
described in sections below.
6 To configure additional network interfaces, repeat Step 2 through Step 5.
Setting the Default Gateway
The gateway, or router, mediates between the local subnet and other networks. When you use a DHCP server,
the gateway address is provided automatically. With static IP, you have to set the default gateway.
To configure the gateway for static IP
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 When a menu appears, enter the number for setting the Default Gateway.
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Chapter 2 Deploying Your Virtual Appliance
3 Enter the network interface to associate with a particular gateway address.
4 Enter the IPv4 address and IPv6 address or IPv4 address of the default gateway for the network interface.
5 For multiple network interfaces, repeat Step 2 through Step 4.
NOTE If any entry is incorrect, you must repeat the procedure.
Setting the Host Name
When using a DHCP server, the host name is set automatically. With static IP, you can set the host name. If you
do not, the appliance does a reverse lookup on the IP address and if successful, sets the host name on reboot.
To configure the host name for static IP
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 When a menu appears, enter the number for setting the host name.
3 Enter the host name and domain name for the virtual appliance.
4 If your entry is incorrect, you must repeat the procedure.
Setting the DNS Servers
When using a DHCP server, DNS servers are set automatically. With static IP, you should set the DNS servers.
To configure DNS servers for static IP
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 When a menu appears, enter the number for setting DNS.
3 Enter the IPv4 address of the primary DNS server. A secondary DNS server is optional but recommended.
4 If your entry is incorrect, you must repeat the procedure.
Configuring the Network Proxy
By default, VMware Studio assumes that it has a direct connection to the Internet. If HTTP and other protocols
go through a network proxy server, take the following steps.
To configure a network proxy
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 When a menu appears, enter the number for setting the Proxy Server.
3 Enter y after the Is an IPv4 proxy server necessary to reach the Internet? prompt.
4 Next, enter the network address (either an IP address or host name with dotted domain) and port number
of the proxy server.
5 If your entry was incorrect, repeat the procedure.
Configuring DHCP
If you configured a virtual appliance with a static IP address, you can reconfigure it to use DHCP instead
To configure use of DHCP service
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 Press Enter. A menu appears with six choices (or more, if the appliance is configured for multiple network
interfaces).
3 Type the menu number for the network interface you want to configure.
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4 If the appliance has been configured with IPv6, it asks if you want to configure an IPv6 address.
a If so enter y, otherwise accept the default n.
b To use a DHCPv6 server, enter y. The IPv6 address and prefix assignment are automatic.
c Press Enter if correct.
5 Studio prompts you with the message, do you want to configure an IPv4 address.
a Enter y to configure an IPv4 address, otherwise accept the default n.
b To use a DHCPv4 server, enter y. The IPv4 address and netmask assignment are automatic.
c Press Enter if correct.
Configuring an IPv6 Network
To configure an IPv6 network interface
1 Log in and run the /opt/vmware/share/vami/vami_config_net command.
2 Type the menu number for the network interface you want to configure.
3 If the appliance has been configured with IPv6, it asks if you want to configure an IPv6 address.
a Type y, instead of accepting the default n.
b The appliance asks if you want to use a DHCPv6 server. If so, type y.
To configure a static IPv6 address instead, accept the default n. On subsequent lines, enter the static IPv6 address and prefix. For IPv6 addresses you can type two colons in a row (::) as shorthand for repeated zeros. Prefix designates the number of bits in the routable network portion of the address.
If you answered y, the IPv6 address and prefix assignment are automatic.
c Press Enter if correct.
4 Continue with IPv4 settings.
Setting the Time Zone
The virtual hardware clock is always maintained in UTC, which the virtual appliance converts to local time.
Correct local time is important for the update repository and VMware vCenter Update Manager.
If the virtual appliance developer incorporated the vami.timezone OVF property, and set it correctly, this property is used to change the time zone. You can set time zone from the welcome screen as described here,
or from the virtual appliance Web console as described in “Setting the Time Zone” on page 14.
To set the time zone from the welcome screen
1 On the virtual appliance welcome screen, select Set Timezone and press Enter.
2 In the Geographic area screen, select your continent or region and press Enter.
3 In the Time zone screen, select a city or area in your time zone and press Enter.
(These steps may vary.) The time zone is set and the welcome screen appears again.
Virtual Appliances Based on Windows
Usually, virtual appliances based on Microsoft Windows do not have the automated first‐start capabilities
described above.
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3
This chapter describes software discovery and network settings for your vApp or virtual appliance, including
the following topics:
“Exploring a Virtual Appliance” on page 15
“Shutting Down or Rebooting the Virtual Appliance” on page 16
“Setting the Time Zone” on page 17
“Network Configuration” on page 17
You can perform management operations from the Web console by using a browser to reach the IP address or
host name of the vApp or virtual appliance at its designated port number, https://vapp.example.com:5480 for
example. To log in, type the user name and password you set, or documented by your appliance provider.
Exploring a Virtual ApplianceWhen you log in with a browser to a virtual appliance on port 5480, or the same management interface on an
alternate port, a Web interface with tabs appears. This section discusses the tabs, right to left.
The Update tab, if your virtual appliance has one, performs minor updates, and is discussed in Chapter 4,
“Updating a Virtual Appliance,” on page 21.
The System tab provides the following information:
Vendor – The name of the company that created your virtual appliance.
Appliance Name – The name of your appliance.
Appliance Version – The version number of your appliance.
Hostname – The fully qualified host name of your appliance. If a static IP is configured for the virtual
machine, then you can specify a host name. If the OVF vami.hostname property is present, the host name
is set according. Otherwise DNS service maps the IP address into a host name (PTR record).
OS Name – The name of the operating system on which your appliance runs.
OS Version – The version number of the operating system.
OVF Environment – If deployed in vSphere, shows the OVF properties defined and configured for this
virtual machine or vApp.
The System tab also has a time zone interface. See “Setting the Time Zone” on page 17.
The Network tab shows network status, changes network address settings, and configures a proxy service to
access the Internet outside a firewall. See “Network Configuration” on page 17.
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Using the Command Line
To access the command line, select Login at the VMware platform product console, supply the login name and
password that the vendor provided with your appliance. Type the vamicli command at the system prompt
for a usage summary.
The following command shows the version information for the virtual appliance:
vamicli version --appliance
The following command shows the version of VMware Studio used to build the virtual appliance:
vamicli version --studio
Exploring vApps in the vSphere Client
You can also find information about virtual appliances and vApps by examining them with the vSphere Client.
Figure 3‐1 shows several vApps. A vApp looks similar to a folder containing virtual machines, except that the
vApp icon shows four small blue squares instead of a yellow folder. A vApp behaves like a virtual machine,
with unified power operations, network settings, datastores, and configurable resource use.
Figure 3-1. Three vApps in a Datacenter
The Summary tab of vSphere Client shows the product name of the vApp or virtual appliance, its version
number, and the software vendor. Storage and resource use appear on the right. You can see the resources
consumed by a constituent virtual machine by selecting it instead of the vApp.
The remainder of this chapter describes maintenance operations and network settings.
Shutting Down or Rebooting the Virtual ApplianceTo Shutdown or Reboot the virtual appliance, click the System tab in the virtual appliance Web console then
click Information. On the System Information page you see the virtual appliance vendor, appliance name,
appliance version, host name, operating system, and operating system version. The power buttons are under
Actions on the right side of the window.
To restart the virtual appliance, click Reboot.
To shut down the virtual appliance, click Shutdown.
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Chapter 3 Managing a Virtual Appliance
Setting the Time ZoneThe virtual hardware clock is always maintained in UTC, which a virtual appliance converts to the local time
zone, if set. Correct time is important for the update repository and VMware vCenter Update Manager.
If the virtual appliance developer incorporated the vami.timezone OVF property, and set it correctly, this property is used to change the time zone.
You can set time zone from the virtual appliance Web console as described here, or from the welcome screen
as described in “Setting the Time Zone” on page 14.
To set the time zone from the Web console
1 Click the System tab then click the Time Zone page button.
2 On the Time Zone Settings page, in the drop‐down menu showing time zones of the world, select yours.
3 Click the Save Settings button to make a change.
Network ConfigurationThe Network tab allows you to configure networks. To view the network configuration operations click the
Network tab in the Web console.
Status – Shows network information for multiple network interface cards, such as the interface name,
whether DHCP was used for IPv4, whether stateless address auto‐configuration (SLAAC) is set for IPv6,
the IPv4 address, netmask, gateway IP address, DNS servers, host name, and IPv6 information (if any).
After making a change you can click the Refresh button under the Actions heading to obtain current
information.
For information about DHCP, see “Choosing Between DHCP and Static Network Addresses” on page 18.
Address – Specifies IP network information and enables DHCP services or SLAAC. If you change any
network address settings, you must click Save Settings to apply your changes, click Cancel Changes to
discard any changes. You can configure DHCP and SLAAC from this interface, or from the Web Console
as described in “First Start of the Virtual Appliance” on page 11.
When the IPv4 address type is set to DHCP, the virtual appliance gets its network settings from your
DHCPv4 server. If you set the IPv4 address type to Static, you must type values in the following fields:
IPv4 Address – IPv4 address of virtual appliance.
Netmask – Network mask for the virtual appliance.
Gateway – IPv4 address of the gateway (network router).
Hostname – Host name of the virtual appliance
Preferred DNS Server – IPv4 address of the primary DNS server.
Alternate DNS Server – IPv4 address of the secondary DNS server.
If IPv6 is supported by the underlying operating system, it is available in virtual appliances built from it.
When the IPv6 address type is set to SLAAC, the virtual appliance is assigned an IPv6 address
automatically if the connected network is configured to provide SLAAC addresses. When you configure
a static IPv6 or DHCPv6 address, the virtual appliance also displays an IPv6 address. If you set the IPv6
address type to Static, you must enter values in the following fields:
IPv6 Address – IPv6 address of the virtual appliance.
Prefix – IPv6 prefix, which specifies address length.
Gateway – Optional IPv6 address of the gateway (network router).
Hostname – Host name of the virtual appliance.
Preferred DNS Server – IPv6 address of the primary DNS server.
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Alternate DNS Server – IPv6 address of the secondary DNS server.
Proxy – Specifies proxy server and port for accessing external networks (for example, wide‐area Internet).
Click Save Settings to accept changes that you make to the proxy settings. Click Cancel Changes to
discard changes. Select the check box for Use a Proxy Server to enter values in the following fields:
Proxy Server – Host name or IP address for the proxy server.
Proxy Port – Proxy server communications port.
Proxy User name – A valid user name, if the proxy server requires authentication.
Proxy Password – The valid password, if the proxy server requires authentication.
Setting a Proxy Server
Developers can configure a virtual appliance to check a repository Web site for software updates. Usually this
site is on the external Internet. If your organization has configured the network to disallow access outside of
your local area network, you might need to specify a proxy server. This is a server through which all external
network traffic flows, preventing certain types of connections. Your IT department can provide you with the
proxy server name and port number to access external networks.
Choosing Between DHCP and Static Network Addresses
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a method of allocating IP addresses (and other attributes
including host name and DNS servers) to computers on a local area network. The term DHCP usually means
DHCPv4 for IPv4 networks, but similar services are available for IPv6 networks.
When started, your virtual appliance attempts to find a DHCP server. If it does, it asks the DHCP server to
assign a temporary network address. This allows you to run the virtual appliance with minimal setup.
However the temporary address might change if you leave the virtual appliance powered off for a while, and
power it on again after the DHCP lease has expired.
Most server appliances should be configured to a static network address that remains constant whenever the
virtual appliance is restarted or moved to a different subnet. This allows other users of the virtual appliance
to be aware of its network address (and associated host name) when they connect to it.
Configuring IPv6 Networks
You can add an additional Static IPv6 or DHCPv6 address to the appliance. Unlike IPv4, IPv6 permits multiple
addresses assigned to an interface. VMware Studio built virtual appliances report, but do not manage, SLAAC
addresses. SLAAC is the mechanism that creates an Auto IPv6 address. The Static IPv6 or DHCPv6 address
may differ from the Auto IPv6 address.
To change the type of IP Address
1 Log in to the Web console of the virtual appliance.
2 Click Network > Address.
3 Under IPv4 Address Type, you can select DHCP or Static.
When you set the IPv4 address type to DHCP, the virtual appliance gets its network settings from your
DHCPv4 server. With DHCPv4 or DHCPv6, you do not need to configure the DNS servers. If you set the
IPv4 address type to Static, you must enter values in the following fields:
IPv4 Address – IPv4 address of the virtual appliance.
Netmask – Network mask for the virtual appliance.
Gateway – IPv4 address of the gateway (network router).
Hostname – Host name of the virtual appliance.
Preferred DNS Server – IPv4 address of the primary DNS server.
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Chapter 3 Managing a Virtual Appliance
Alternate DNS Server – IPv4 address of the secondary DNS server.
4 Under IPv6 Address Type, select SLAAC, DHCP, or Static. For networks transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6,
SLAAC is the simplest choice. When you set the IPv6 address type to SLAAC, the virtual appliance is
assigned an Auto IPv6 address. If you set the IPv6 address type to Static, you must enter values in the
following fields:
IPv6 Address – IPv6 address of the virtual appliance.
Prefix – IPv6 prefix, which specifies address length.
Gateway – Optional IPv6 address of the gateway (network router).
Hostname – Host name of the virtual appliance.
Preferred DNS Server – IPv6 address of the primary DNS server.
Alternate DNS Server – IPv6 address of the secondary DNS server.
For DNS configurations, the address must conform to an available address family, IPv6 and IPv4 or IPv4.
With DHCPv4 or DHCPv6, DNS server configuration is not required. See “Name Service” on page 19.
When you configure a static IPv6 or DHCPv6 address, the virtual appliance also displays an IPv6 address.
5 Click Save Settings. The virtual appliance responds saying network settings saved.
Name Service
When the auto‐configuration protocol is defined, DNS servers are not included as part of the information
provided to entities on the network.
With SLAAC, an appliance receives dynamic addressing and subnetwork information, but receives no
information about DNS name servers. Administrators must configure static DNS in this case, hence the DHCP
is required for IPv6 dynamic configurations to attain familiar IPv4 behaviors. However DHCPv6 server
deployments are not as common as DHCPv4 server deployments.
Recently, an RFC was made to amend how SLAAC works to include DNS servers. It is unknown how the
various operating system vendors will eventually decide to handle this.
Firewall Security
You might need to request that your IT department change firewall settings if you have reason to access the
Web console of your vApp or virtual appliance through the firewall.
The following ports used by your vApp or virtual appliance should be exempted from the firewall:
5480/TCP incoming – Used for Web browser access to the VAMI agent, which serves the Web console.
Developers can change this port in the build profile. If they did change the port number, they should have
documented the change, so you can customize firewall rules for your vApp or virtual appliance.
5488/TCP incoming and 5489/TCP incoming – Used for communication between lighttpd and SFCB in VAMI, and for Update Manager. SFCB ports for VAMI services are relocated to 5488/TCP and 5489/TCP,
so the default ports (5988/TCP and 5989/TCP) remain available for use by independent software vendors
and hardware appliance vendors.
Troubleshooting
If something goes wrong with your virtual appliance, support personnel might ask for your assistance in
diagnosing the problem. VMware Studio provides the vamisupport script, which assembles log files into a
“tarball” for troubleshooting. The script is at /opt/vmware/bin/vamisupport on your virtual appliance. When reporting a problem, you can run the vamisupport script, which tells you where it is writing output.
Then scp (secure copy) the tarball to a computer with email service, and send it to support.
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4
This chapter provides information about updating a virtual appliance, and includes the following topics:
“Types of Updates” on page 21
“Update Tab Status and Settings” on page 21
“Setting Update Policies” on page 22
“Specifying Update Repository” on page 23
Types of UpdatesA deployed virtual appliance can be updated with packages published by its developer. Updates can be done
over the external Web, on your local area network, or from CDROM.
To conserve network bandwidth, virtual appliance updates are applied to packages that have changed.
Updates may apply to the operating system, applications within the virtual appliance, VMware Tools, or the
VMware Appliance Management Infrastructure (VAMI).
If the vendor has digitally signed a virtual appliance, its SSL signature is verified before an update proceeds.
Update Tab Status and SettingsThe Update tab appears in the Web console if an update repository was specified during the virtual appliance
build process. If the Update tab is missing, contact your ISV for updates or patches to your virtual appliance.
You can access update status and settings for the virtual appliance on the Update tab, which has two subtabs:
Status – Provides information about the virtual appliance vendor, name, and version.
Settings – Shows the setting of policies for periodically checking and installing updates.
Checking Version Status
On the Status subtab appears virtual appliance information, such as vendor and version. You can check for
updates and install available updates as described here, with the CLI, or with vCenter Server, as described in
Chapter 5, “Managing Virtual Appliances with vCenter Server,” on page 25.
To view information about a virtual appliance, click the Status subtab on the Update tab.
Vendor – The name of the company that created the virtual appliance.
Appliance Name – The name of the virtual appliance.
Appliance Version – The version information of the virtual appliance.
Available Updates – If an update is available, gives the name and version of the product.
Last Check – If a check for update was performed, the date and time when the virtual appliance was
checked, in UTC (GMT) with local time offset.
Updating a Virtual Appliance 4
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22 VMware, Inc.
Last Install – If an update was installed, the date and time when the virtual appliance was updated.
Installing Available Updates
To check for updates, under the Actions section click Check Updates. The virtual appliance connects to the
update repository and checks for available updates. Updates appear in the Available Updates pane.
To install an update, click Install Updates.
Setting Update PoliciesYou can specify whether the virtual appliance checks for updates and how often. To set update policies for the
virtual appliance from the Web console, click Update > Settings. You can select one of the following policies
for updating the virtual appliance:
No automatic updates – The virtual appliance does not check for and install updates. This is probably the
default, unless the developer changed it.
Automatic check for updates – The virtual appliance checks for updates at the scheduled time. If an
update is available, it appears on the Update Status page.
Automatic check and install updates – The virtual appliance checks for updates at the scheduled time,
and if one is available, installs it.
If you select either Automatic check for updates or Automatic check and install updates, you can configure
the scheduling. By default, the check occurs daily at 03:00 local time, as determined by your time zone setting.
To change the frequency or time of update checking
1 Click one of the Automatic check buttons.
2 Specify the frequency (daily or weekly), or select the hour at which to check.
3 Click Save Settings.
Setting Update Source
You can choose to update from a CDROM, or from an alternate update repository URL. The default is the URL
that the ISV configured, which usually designates a public Web site on the Internet. You might need to change
the update source or location if you are inside a restricted local area network.
To change the update repository location
1 Click one of the choices, Use CDROM Updates or Use Specified Repository.
If you select Use CDROM Updates, insert the update CDROM into a drive that the virtual appliance
can read. The update agent scans the CD drives to find the first update CDROM.
If you select Use Specified Repository, type the URL of the update repository that your appliance
should check. If the URL requires authentication, provide a valid user name and password.
2 Click Save Settings.
If you leave Use Default Repository selected (the default), the update agent usually checks a public URL on
the Internet, so be sure to set the proxy server if required.
Using the Command Line for Updates
Use the following command to check for updates to the virtual appliance:
vamicli update --check
Use the following command to download and install the latest updates for the virtual appliance:
vamicli update --install latest
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Chapter 4 Updating a Virtual Appliance
Specifying Update Repository
To specify update repository for your virtual appliance
1 In Studio home page, click the Settings tab on the Update tab.
2 In the Settings tab, select one of the following options for specifying the update repository:
Use Default Repository ‐ If you want your virtual appliance to check for updates from the VMware
update repository, select this option. The repository URL is displayed on the same page.
Use CDROM Updates – If you want your virtual appliance to check for updates from the CDROM, use
this option
Use Specified Repository – If you want your virtual appliance to check for updates from a specific
repository other than the default repository, use this option.
If you select the Use Specified Repository you have to specify the repository URL and if you want to allow
authorized users, you can specify a Username and Password to logon to the specified repository.
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5
This chapter contains the following topics:
“Requirements for Update Manager” on page 25
“Virtual Appliance Baselines” on page 26
“Scanning Virtual Appliances” on page 27
“Remediating Virtual Appliances” on page 29
It is not necessary to manage virtual appliances with vCenter Server and VMware vCenter Update Manager,
but doing so provides centralized management of multiple vApps and virtual appliances. For information
about baselines and compliance checks, see the VMware vCenter Update Manager Administration Guide on the
VMware Web site.
The Update Manager module consists of a plug‐in component that runs on the vSphere Client, and a server
component, which you can install on the same computer as vCenter Server or on a different computer.
Requirements for Update ManagerUpdate Manager integrates with VMware Studio’s update service to enable centralized management of virtual
appliance updates. Beginning with Update Manager 1.0 update 2 you can manage the virtual appliances that
you import in your vCenter Server. Update Manager 4.0 and later provide default virtual appliance upgrade
baselines to scan and upgrade a virtual appliance to the latest released or critical‐update version.
Update Manager also lets you create custom virtual appliance upgrade baselines. In the Update Manager 4.0
documentation, vApps are treated as container objects holding virtual machines or virtual appliances. For
information about Update Manager 4.0 and later, see the documentation at
http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vum_pubs.html.
The following conditions apply to updating virtual appliances with Update Manager:
You must register an Update Manager server instance with the vCenter Server system into which you
import the virtual appliance. You must also install the Update Manager plug‐in on the vSphere Client. For
more information, see the VMware vCenter Update Manager Administration Guide.
All virtual appliances must have an Internet connection (direct or proxied) for discovery, scanning, and
remediation operations.
If virtual appliances access the Internet through a proxy, the proxy server must be set on virtual appliances
as described in “Network Configuration” on page 17.
Offline and suspended virtual appliances cannot be scanned or remediated.
After you import a VMware Studio virtual appliance using the vSphere Client and power it on for the first
time, it is discovered as a virtual appliance. To simplify management, VMware recommends that you import
virtual appliances into a separate folder under Virtual Machines and Templates in vCenter Server.
Managing Virtual Appliances with vCenter Server 5
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Virtual Appliance BaselinesUpdate Manager includes default virtual appliance baselines that you can use to scan the virtual appliances to
determine whether they are upgraded to the latest released or the latest critical version. You can also scan the
virtual appliances against custom virtual appliance upgrade baselines that you can create from the Update
Manager Administration view.
Creating Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baselines
A virtual appliance upgrade baseline contains a set of patches to the operating system of the appliance and to
the applications installed in the virtual appliance. The virtual appliance vendor considers these patches an
upgrade. Virtual appliance baselines that you create consist of a set of user‐defined rules. If you add rules that
conflict, Update Manager displays an Upgrade Rule Conflict window so that you can resolve the conflicts.
To create a virtual appliance upgrade baseline:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to a vCenter Server system with which Update Manager is registered, and
click Update Manager under Solutions and Applications on the Home page.
2 On the Baselines and Groups tab, click Create above the Baselines pane.
The New Baseline wizard opens.
3 Under Baseline Type, select VA Upgrade and click Next.
4 Select Vendor and Appliance options from the drop‐down menu.
The options listed in these menus depend on the virtual appliances in your inventory. If there are no
virtual appliances in your vSphere inventory, the options are All Vendors and All Products, respectively.
5 Select an option from the Upgrade To drop‐down menu. The options are:
Latest – Upgrades the virtual appliance to the latest version.
Don’t Upgrade – Does not upgrade the virtual appliance.
6 Click Add Rule.
7 (Optional) Add multiple rules.
a On the Upgrade Options page of the New Baseline wizard, click Add Multiple Rules.
b Select one or more vendors.
c Select one or more appliances.
d Select one Upgrade To option to apply to the selected appliances, and click OK.
If you create multiple rules to apply to the same virtual appliance, only the first applicable rule in the list
is applied for remediation.
8 (Optional) Resolve any conflicts within the rules you apply.
a In the Upgrade Rule Conflict window, select whether to keep the existing rules, to use the newly
created rules, or to manually resolve the conflict.
b Click OK.
9 Click Next.
10 Review the Ready to Complete page and click Finish.
The virtual appliance upgrade baseline is displayed in the Baselines pane of the Baselines and Groups tab.
Attaching Virtual Appliance Upgrade Baselines
To view compliance information and remediate the virtual appliances in the inventory against specific
baselines, you must first attach existing baselines to these virtual appliances. You can attach baselines to objects
from the Update Manager Client Compliance view.
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Chapter 5 Managing Virtual Appliances with vCenter Server
Although you can attach baselines to individual objects, it is more efficient to attach them to container objects,
such as folders, vApps, and datacenters. Attaching a baseline to a container object transitively attaches the
baseline to all virtual appliances in the container.
To attach a virtual appliance upgrade baseline:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to a vCenter Server system with which Update Manager is registered, and
select Home > Inventory > VMs and Templates.
2 Select the object containing the virtual appliances, and click the Update Manager tab.
3 Click Attach in the upper‐right corner.
4 In the Attach Baseline or Group window, select one or more baselines to attach to the object.
5 (Optional) Click the Create Baseline link to create a baseline group or a baseline and finish the wizard.
6 Click Attach.
The baselines and baseline groups that you selected to attach are displayed in the Attached Baseline Groups
and Attached Baselines panes of the Update Manager tab.
Scanning Virtual AppliancesScanning is the process in which attributes of a set of virtual appliances are evaluated against the upgrades in
the baselines attached to the virtual appliances. You can scan virtual appliances against attached baselines to
receive compliance information about virtual appliances before upgrading them.
You can set Update Manager to scan virtual appliances as a scheduled task, or you can manually begin a scan.
Doing a Manual Scan
To manually scan a virtual appliance:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system where you imported the virtual appliance.
2 Click Inventory and then click VMs and Templates.
3 Click the folder where you imported the virtual appliance.
4 In the left pane, right‐click the virtual appliance and then click Scan for Updates.
5 Select Virtual Appliance upgrades.
6 Click Scan.
Scheduling a Scan
You can schedule scans for all virtual appliances in a folder. To schedule scans for virtual appliances:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system where you imported the virtual appliance.
2 Click Scheduled Tasks on the Home page.
3 Click New in the toolbar to open the Schedule Task dialog box.
4 From the drop‐down menu, select Scan for Updates and click OK.
5 Choose to schedule a scan for virtual machines and virtual appliances, and click Next.
6 In the inventory tree, select the virtual appliances to be scanned, and click Next.
7 Choose to scan for virtual appliance upgrades.
8 Enter the task name and the task description, schedule a time to run the task, and click Next.
9 (Optional) Specify one or more email addresses to receive the results and click Next. You must configure
mail settings for the vCenter Server system to enable this option.
10 Review the summary information for the task to be completed, and click Finish.
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Viewing Scan Results
With Update Manager, you can quickly check how virtual appliances comply with baselines. You can review
compliance either by examining the results for a single virtual appliance or by reviewing the results for a
specific grouping of virtual appliances. Supported groupings include VMware vSphere container objects such
as folders, clusters, and datacenters.
Compliance information is available on the Update Manager tab in the vSphere Client. For virtual appliances,
you can view compliance in the Virtual Machines and Templates view.
Baselines interact with virtual appliances in the following ways:
If a user lacks permissions to view a virtual appliance, the results of those scans are not displayed.
Compliance with baselines is assessed at the time of viewing. To ensure that all information is current, a
brief pause might occur while information is gathered about a virtual appliance’s compliance.
Only information about compliance with relevant baselines is provided. For example, if a baseline is not
attached to the container in question, compliance is not assessed.
Compliance status is displayed based on permissions. Users with permission to view a container, but not
all of the container’s contents, can see the aggregate compliance of all entities under that container.
However, the individual counts for compliant, noncompliant, and unknown entities appear only as user
permissions allow. To view the compliance status, users also must have permission to view the baseline
or software update compliance status for an object in the inventory.
Reviewing Scan Results for Virtual Appliances Contained in a vSphere Object
When scans are completed on all machines contained within a VMware vSphere object, the results are
displayed in a summary. Information that is displayed explains the degree of conformance with baselines,
rather than the details. The following information is included:
When the last scan was completed at this level
Total number of compliant and noncompliant updates
For each baseline, the number of virtual appliances that are compliant or noncompliant
For each baseline, the number of patches that are not applicable to a particular virtual appliance
When you select a container object, you view the overall compliance status of the attached baselines, as well
as status for all the individual compliances. If you select an individual baseline attached to the container object,
you see the compliance status of the baseline.
If you select an individual virtual appliance, you see the overall compliance status of the selected appliance
against all attached baselines and the number of upgrades. If you further select an individual baseline attached
to this object, you see the number of upgrades grouped by the compliance status for that baseline.
To view scan results for virtual appliances:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system where you imported the virtual appliance.
2 Click Inventory and click VMs and Templates.
3 Click the object for which you want to view the scan results.
4 Click the Update Manager tab.
The results for scans completed on virtual appliances in that container appear on the right.
IMPORTANT Although you can attach baselines and baseline groups to individual objects, it is more efficient
to attach them to container objects, such as folders and datacenters. Attaching a baseline to a container object
transitively attaches the baseline to all objects in the container.
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Chapter 5 Managing Virtual Appliances with vCenter Server
Reviewing Scan Results for an Individual Virtual Appliance
Scan results provide information about the degree of compliance with the attached baselines. You can view
information on individual appliances and receive detailed information about the upgrades that are included
in a baseline.
To view the results for an individual virtual appliance:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system where you imported the virtual appliance.
2 Click Inventory and click VMs and Templates.
3 Select an individual virtual appliance.
4 Click the Update Manager tab.
5 Select a baseline group or baseline. For example, select All Groups and Independent Baselines in the
Attached Baseline Groups pane and All in the Attached Baselines pane to view the overall compliance of
all attached baselines and baseline groups.
6 In the Compliance pane, select the All Applicable compliance status to view the overall compliance status
of the selected appliance. The selected appliance together with the number of upgrades appear in the
bottom pane of the Update Manager tab.
7 Click the link in the Upgrades column in the bottom pane of the Update Manager tab. The link indicates
the number of upgrades in the selected compliance state. The Upgrade Details window appears, showing
the information in Table 5‐1.
Remediating Virtual AppliancesUpdates for a virtual appliance are downloaded by automatic updates (see “Setting Update Policies” on
page 22), or by the virtual appliance during the remediation process. Update Manager controls only when and
what to download. The download URL is set by the ISV providing the virtual appliance.
To download the updates for virtual appliances, Update Manager uses the following approach:
1 Update Manager scans the virtual appliances to return product and vendor information, information
about the current version, and missing updates.
2 Update Manager directs the virtual appliances to download the missing updates. Update Manager
controls the remediation process of when and how to remediate, but the virtual appliance downloads and
installs the updates itself.
After remediation, you must reboot the virtual appliance if the update package says that it requires reboot.
Virtual appliances have their own Web UI for self‐managed update mode. If the auto install updates option is
turned on in a virtual appliance, Update Manager runs reporting mode against it. This means that Update
Manager scans the virtual appliance, but skips remediation, so remediation fails with an event indicating the
reason. (See the “Troubleshooting” chapter of the VMware vCenter Update Manager Administration Guide.)
You can remediate virtual appliances manually, or schedule a remediation process. The two are similar, except
that you specify a time for scheduled remediation.
Table 5-1. Upgrade Details window
Option Description
Vendor Vendor of the upgrade.
Product Product installed on the virtual appliance, for example guest operating system.
Version Target version of the product.
Compliance Compliance status of the virtual appliance
Severity Severity of the upgrade.
Release Date Release date of the upgrade.
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To remediate a virtual appliance:
1 Connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system where you imported the virtual appliances.
2 On the Home page select VMs and Templates and click the Update Manager tab.
3 Right‐click an object from the inventory and select Remediate.
All virtual appliances under the selected object are also remediated.
4 On the Remediation Selection page of the Remediate wizard, select the baselines to apply.
5 Select the virtual appliances that you want to remediate and click Next.
6 On the Schedule page, enter a name, and optionally, a description for the task.
7 Select Immediately to begin the remediation process right after you complete the wizard, or enter specific
times for powered on, powered off, or suspended virtual appliances.
8 (Optional) Specify the rollback options and click Next.
a On the Rollback Options page of the Remediate wizard, select Snapshot the virtual machines before
remediation to enable rollback.
A snapshot of the virtual machine or virtual appliance is taken before remediation. If the virtual
appliance needs to roll back, you can revert to this snapshot.
b Specify when the snapshot should be deleted, or select Don’t delete snapshots.
c Enter a name and optionally a description for the snapshot.
d (Optional) Select the check box Snapshot the memory for the virtual machine.
9 Review the Ready to Complete page, and click Finish.
Virtual Appliance Recognition
When a correctly installed or remediated virtual appliance is first powered on, the vCenter Server should
discover it (recognize it) as a virtual appliance. Your remediated virtual appliance is then ready to use.
VMware, Inc. 31
This appendix contains the following sections:
“VMware Platform Products for OVF and OVA” on page 31
“Compatibility for Virtual Appliances and vApps” on page 31.
VMware Platform Products for OVF and OVAThe following short codes represent various VMware platform products in tables Table A‐1 and Table A‐2.
vSphere Managed – VMware vSphere 4 or 5 deployed as a vCenter Server 4 or 5 managed environment
with ESX/ESXi 4.x or ESXi 5.x (and possibly ESX/ESXi 3.5) hosts.
vSphere Standalone – VMware vSphere 4 or 5 deployed as a standalone ESX/ESXi 4.x or ESXi 5.x host.
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Managed – VMware Infrastructure 3.5 deployed as a VirtualCenter 2.5
managed environment with ESX/ESXi 3.5 hosts.
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Standalone – VI 3.5 deployed as a standalone ESX/ESXi 3.5 host.
VMware Infrastructure 3 – Any permutation of VMware Infrastructure 3.0.
Workstation 6.5.1+ – VMware Workstation 6.5.1 and later (which adds some OVF support).
VHP – VMware hosted‐class platform products (Workstation, Player, Server, ACE, and Fusion).
vCloud Director 1.0 – vCloud Director coordinating vSphere managed datacenters.
Compatibility for Virtual Appliances and vAppsTable A‐1 shows platform product compatibility for virtual appliances with one virtual machine.
Yes – No added conversion steps are necessary; imports using the product alone.
Yes* – Similar to YES, but conversion may discard certain OVF metadata post‐import.
Convert – Not directly, but end‐consumers can convert with added steps and sacrifice of certain metadata.
Appendix
Table A-1. Compatibility of a Single-VM Virtual Appliance
Target ZIP OVF 0.9 Draft OVF 1.0 OVF 1.0 OVA
vSphere Managed Convert Yes Yes Yes
vSphere Standalone Convert Yes* Yes* Yes*
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Managed Convert Yes* Convert. Convert
VMware Infrastructure 3.5 Standalone Convert Yes* Convert. Convert
VMware Infrastructure 3 Convert Conv. Convert Convert
Workstation 6.5.1+ Yes Yes* Convert Convert
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32 VMware, Inc.
Table A‐2 shows platform product compatibility for a vApp containing one or more virtual machines.
Yes – No added conversion steps are necessary; imports using the product alone.
Yes* – Similar to YES, but conversion may discard certain OVF metadata post‐import.
Convert – Not directly, but end‐consumers can convert with added steps and sacrifice of certain metadata.
N/A – This deliverable type is not compatible with the desired construct (single‐VM versus vApp).
No – Not possible, or required metadata constructs cannot be converted.
VHP Yes Conv. Conv. Conv.
vCloud Director 1.0 No No Yes No
Table A-2. Compatibility of a Single-VM or Multiple-VM vApp
Target ZIP OVF 0.9 Draft OVF 1.0 OVF 1.0 OVA
vSphere 4 Managed N/A N/A Yes Yes
vSphere 4 Standalone N/A N/A No No
VI 3.5 Managed N/A N/A No No
VI 3/5 Standalone N/A N/A No No
VI 3 N/A N/A No No
Workstation 6.5.1+ N/A N/A No No
VHP N/A N/A No No
vCloud Director 1.0 N/A N/A Yes No
Table A-1. Compatibility of a Single-VM Virtual Appliance
Target ZIP OVF 0.9 Draft OVF 1.0 OVF 1.0 OVA
VMware, Inc. 33
Index
Aappliance vendor, ISV or HAV 8
Bbrowser support in VMware Studio 9
CCIM standard and the DMTF 8
command-line interface, vamicli 16, 22
compatible platforms for a vApp 32
compatible platforms for a virtual appliance 31
Ddefinition of
application in a virtual appliance 8
VAMI 8
vApp 7
virtual appliance 7
VMware Studio 7
DHCP and IPv6 18
DHCP configuration of IP address and DNS 13
DHCP, host name and DNS 18
distribution format
OVA 9, 10
OVF 0.9 or 1.0 9, 10
ZIP 9, 10
DNS servers without DHCP 12, 17
dynamic IP address and DHCP 13
EESX/ESXi versions supported by VMware Studio 9
Ffirewall security
exempted ports 19
incoming TCP port 5480 19
incoming TCP ports 5488 and 5489 19
proxy server 18
Ggateway (router) for static IP address 17
Greenwich mean time (GMT) See UTC
Hhost name for static IP address 17
IIP Pool and OVF networking properties 10, 12
IPv6 configuration 18
JJeOS, just enough operating system 8
Nnetmask for static IP address 17
network settings
DHCP lease expiration 12
proxy through firewall 13
static IP or DHCP 17, 18, 19
Network tab
Address > Alternate DNS Server 17
Address > Gateway 17
Address > Hostname 17
Address > IP Address 17
Address > Netmask 17
Address > Preferred DNS Server 17
DHCP default, not static IP 18
Proxy > Proxy Port 18
Proxy > Proxy Server 18
Proxy > Proxy User 18
Status 17
OOpen Virtualization Format (OVF) 7
OVA distribution format 9, 10
OVF 0.9 or 1.0 distribution format 9, 10
OVF versions and VMware platform products 31
Ppowering on a virtual appliance 11
proxy server for external network access 18
RReboot button in System tab 16
Ssecurity
firewall 19
login password 15
self-signed HTTP certificate 11
SSL digital signature 21
Shutdown button in System tab 16
SLAAC and IPv6 17
User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances
34 VMware, Inc.
SSL digital signature 21
static IP address and netmask 12
supported VMware platform products 9, 31
supported Web browsers 9
System tab
Appliance Name 15
Appliance Version 15
Hostname 15
OS Name 15
OS Version 15
OVF Environment 15
Reboot button 16
Shutdown button 16
Time Zone page 17
Vendor 15
Ttechnical support resources 6
Time Zone page in System tab 17
time zone, setting or changing 14, 17
UUpdate tab
Actions > Check Updates 22
Actions > Install Updates 22
Settings > Automatic check and install updates 22
Settings > Automatic check for updates 22
Settings > No automatic updates 22
Status > Appliance Name 21
Status > Appliance Version 21
Status > Available Updates 21
Status > Last Check 21
Status > Last Install 22
Status > Vendor 21
updates from local repository URL 22
updates from mounted CDROM 22
Use Default Repository update default 22
UTC, universal coordinated time 11, 14, 17, 21
VVAMI, virtual appliance management
infrastructure 7, 8, 19, 21
vami.timezone OVF property 14, 17
vamicli command 16, 22
vamisupport script 19
vApp, definition 7
vApps in the vSphere Client, pictured 16
vCenter Server (formerly VirtualCenter) 8, 10, 21, 25–30
VI Client, virtual appliance import 10
virtual appliance power-on 11
virtual appliance, definition 7
VMware platform products supported 9
VMware Tools 8
VMware vCenter Update Manager 7, 14, 17, 19, 25
baselines for virtual appliance updates 26
remediating a virtual appliance 29
scanning a virtual appliance 27
scheduling a virtual appliance scan 27
viewing a virtual appliance scan 28
vSphere Client, deploy OVF template 10
WWeb browsers supported 9
Web console for VMware Studio 8
ZZIP distribution format 9, 10