Configure the OVF Descriptor File

To integrate an extension with the vCenter Extension vService, you must add a section to the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) descriptor file that contains the virtual machine.

You have developed an extension running in a virtual machine that you deliver using OVF.

Including a

element in the OVF descriptor file of the virtual machine informs

that this virtual machine depends on the vCenter Extension vService.

When you deploy a virtual machine by using OVF,

generates an OVF environment XML document for the virtual machine. The OVF environment is a secure one-way communication channel between

and the guest OS of the virtual machine. To use this feature you must enable OVF environment transport in the OVF descriptor of your virtual machine. The vCenter Extension vService makes the OVF environment available to the virtual machine in an ISO image that it locates in the first CD-ROM drive of the virtual machine.

The vCenter Extension vService uses the OVF environment to pass connection parameters to the guest operating system in the virtual machine. The vCenter Extension vService adds a

element to the OVF environment of the virtual machine. The

element contains the following connection parameters that a script running within the guest operating system requires to register with

as an extension.

Communication parameters that allow the virtual machine to make a secure connection to the vCenter Extension vService Guest API:

HTTPS URL to the vCenter Extension vService Guest API.

Authentication token that authenticates the virtual machine with the vCenter Extension vService.

SSL thumbprint of an X509 certificate that the vCenter Extension vService uses to establish a secure HTTPS connection with the virtual machine.

Communication parameters that allow the guest operating system to make a secure connection to

IP address of the

instance

SSL thumbprint of the X509 certificate that

uses to make a secure HTTPS connection to the virtual machine

HTTP port on which the

is reachable

HTTPS port on which the

is reachable

Managed object reference of the virtual machine in

The

element contains sensitive data. Take special care within the guest operating system to prevent other users from accessing it. When the connection to

is established, the guest operating system no longer needs the OVF environment so you should eject the CD-ROM. Ejecting the CD-ROM deletes the OVF environment from the datastore.

Add a

element to the OVF descriptor file for the virtual machine.

You nest the

element in the

element.

<Envelope>
 [...]
 <VirtualSystem>
  [...]
  <vmw:vServiceDependencySection>
  </vmw:vServiceDependencySection>
  [...]
 </VirtualSystem>
 [...]
</Envelope>

Add the URLs to the standard OVF and VMware OVF schemas.

<vmw:vServiceDependencySection xmlns:ovf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1"
                                        xmlns:vmw="http://www.vmware.com/schema/ovf">
</vmw:vServiceDependencySection>

Set the

ovf:required

attribute.

Option	Description
ovf:required="true"	Users can only deploy the OVF on 5.x. Users cannot power on the virtual machine if it is not bound to the vCenter Extension vService.
ovf:required="false"	Users can deploy the OVF 4.x and 5.x, but the virtual machine only integrates with the vCenter Extension vService in 5.x.

<vmw:vServiceDependencySection xmlns:ovf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1"
                                        xmlns:vmw="http://www.vmware.com/schema/ovf"
                                        ovf:required="true"
                                        vmw:id="installation" >
</vmw:vServiceDependencySection>

Set the type of the dependency to

com.vmware.vservice.extension

, to bind the extension to the vCenter Extension vService.

<vmw:vServiceDependencySection xmlns:ovf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1"
                                        xmlns:vmw="http://www.vmware.com/schema/ovf"
                                        ovf:required="true"
                                        vmw:id="installation" >
   <Info>A vService dependency</ovf:Info>
   <vmw:Type>com.vmware.vservice.extension</vmw:Type>
</vmw:vServiceDependencySection>

Provide a name and a description for the vService dependency, that appears in vService Manager.

<vmw:vServiceDependencySection xmlns:ovf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1"
                                        xmlns:vmw="http://www.vmware.com/schema/ovf"
                                        ovf:required="true"
                                        vmw:id="installation" >
   <ovf:Info>A vService dependency</ovf:Info>
   <vmw:Type>com.vmware.vservice.extension</vmw:Type>
   <vmw:Name>dependency_name</vmw:Name> 
   <vmw:Description>dependency_description</vmw:Description>
   <vmw:Configuration />
</vmw:vServiceDependencySection>

Enable OVF environment transport by setting the

ovf:transport

attribute of the

element to

iso

<Envelope>
 [...]
 <VirtualSystem>
  [...]
  <VirtualHardwareSection ovf:transport="iso">
    [...]  
  </VirtualHardwareSection>
  [...]
 </VirtualSystem>
 [...]
</Envelope>

You configured the OVF file for a extension to bind the extension to the vCenter Extension vService and to make the connection information for the

instance available over OVF transport.

vService Dependency Section in the OVF Descriptor File

The following code extract shows an example of a

element in an OVF descriptor file.

<vmw:vServiceDependencySection xmlns:ovf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1"
                                        xmlns:vmw="http://www.vmware.com/schema/ovf"
                                        ovf:required="true"
                                        vmw:id="installation" >
   <Info>A vService dependency</Info>
   <vmw:Type>com.vmware.vservice.extension</vmw:Type>
   <vmw:Name>vCenter Extension Installation</vmw:Name> 
   <vmw:Description>
        This appliance requires a binding to the vCenter Extension vService,
        which allows it to register automatically as a vCenter Extension at runtime.
   </vmw:Description>
   <vmw:Configuration />
</vmw:vServiceDependencySection>

Integrate a Virtual Machine with the vCenter Extension vService

Provide a Script in the Extension Virtual Machine to Register as a vCenter Extension

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VMware vSphere SDKs and Tools 6.5

Configure the OVF Descriptor File