There is sometimes when you need to transform virtual images from one format to another ones.
There is a tool from vmware named ovftool, simple no ?
you can do with it:
ova2ovf : ova to ovf transformation
ovf2vmx: ovf to vmx transformation
And many many more !
Where to find the tool ?
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/
The documentation:
http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/ovf/ovf21/ovftool-210-userguide.pdf
The tool itself:
http://www.vmware.com/downloads/download.do?downloadGroup=OVF-TOOL-2-1
Just a tiny Example:
i just downloaded an ova image file, and i want to publish it to vsphere.
The tool can let you push directly from ova to vsphere, but here i'll stay soft, simple. i will only transform from one format to another.
Just install the package, and add the installation path to your system path, or inside your console:
set PATH="C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware OVF Tool";%PATH%
Then just do it:
ovftool --lax file.ova newfile.ovf
The --lax option is relevant only for OVA-OVF sources files, and here is the doc:
Relax OVF specification conformance and virtual
hardware compliance checks. (For advanced
users only.)
It is a really needed option, because OVA files can have unsupported hardware saved insides (ie: xen, virtualbox...)
Using Converter:
With vmware converter you may want to convert your ova file in a vmx format, which can be a source for the tool.
ovftool --lax file.ova newfile.vmx
And then use converter.
