This section contains a long table of OVF Tool command-line options.
For every command, you specify source and target locators. OVF Tool Definitions of Source and Target Locators defines each locator type.
| Locator | Definition |
|---|---|
| <source locator> | Path to source, which must be a virtual machine, vApp, vApprun workspace entity, or an OVF package. The source locator can be one of the following:
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| <target locator> | The target locator can be one of the following:
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OVF Tool Command-Line Options shows all the command-line options. Options perform actions only between certain source and target types. The table shows source and target types for each option. If you specify an option using an irrelevant source or target type, the command does nothing.
All options can be set using the form --option=value. Binary options can be switched on and off explicitly. For example: --option=true and --option=false.
| Option's Long Name (and Short Name) | Source Types | Target Types | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --acceptAllEulas | OVF, OVA | N/A | Accepts all end-user licenses agreements (EULAs) without being prompted. Binary option. |
| --addDevice | Adds a virtual device for all VirtualHardwareSections. | ||
| --allowExtraConfig | Lets you specify the extra config options that can be converted to .vmx format. These options are a security risk as they control low-level and potentially unsafe options on the VM. Each option must be specified using a series of key value pairs (sometimes referred to as a white list). | ||
| --annotation | All | Adds annotation to vi, vmx, vapprun, vCloud, OVF, and OVA source locators. | |
| --authdPortSource | vSphere | vSphere | Overrides default VMware authd port (902) when using a host as source or as target. |
| --authdPortTarget | vSphere | vSphere | Overrides the default VMware authd port (902) when using a host as target. |
| --chunkSize | N/A | OVF, OVA | Specifies the chunk size to use for files in a generated OVF or OVA package. The default is not to chunk. If you don’t specify a unit for chunk size, the chunk size is assumed to be in megabytes (mb). Accepted units are b, kb, mb, gb. Example: 2gb or 100kb. When using this option, all output files (except the OVF descriptor, manifest and certificate files) are sliced into the specified chunk size. This is useful if you need to transport an OVF package on a series of 800MB CD-ROMs, or are only able to create files up to 2GB on FAT32 file systems.When you use chunking with the OVA package option, the result is similar to OVF because all files are chunked, but the OVA package is still a single file. |
| --compress | N/A | OVF, OVA | Compresses the disk when given an OVF or OVA target locator. The value must be between 1 and 9. Use 9 for the slowest processing time, but best compression. Use 1 for the fastest processing time, but least compression. |
| --computerName | Sets the computer name in the guest virtual using the syntax --computerName:<VMID>=<value>. Only applies to vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. |
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| --configFile | vSphere | vSphere | Specifies a configuration file containing long-name options and settings. Useful for scripting, this overrides the local ovftool.cfg in the current directory, which overrides the global configuration file in $HOME/ovftool.cfg on Linux and OS X, or C:\Users\%USER%\AppData\Roaming\VMware\ovftool.cfg on Windows. |
| --coresPerSocket | Specifies the distribution of the total number of CPUs over a number of virtual sockets using the syntax --coresPerSocket:<VMID>=<value>. Only applies to vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --datastore or -ds | N/A | vSphere | Target datastore name for a vSphere locator. |
| --decodeBase64 | Enables Base64 decoding for values in the OVFTool command line. | ||
| --defaultStorageProfile | The storage profile for all VMs in the OVF package. The value should be an SPBM profile ID. Only applies to VI targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --defaultStorageRawProfile | The storage profile for all VMs in the OVF package. The value should be a raw SPBM profile. The value overwrites that in --defaultStorageProfile. Only applies to VI targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --deploymentOption | OVF, OVA | N/A | Deployment options for a deployed OVF package, if the source OVF package supports multiple options. An OVF package can contain several deployment configurations. This option allows you to select which configuration to use when deploying to the vSphere target. |
| --disableVerification | OVF, OVA | N/A | Skips validation of signature and certificate. Binary option. |
| --diskMode or -dm | N/A | VMX, vApprun,vSphere | Select target disk format. Supported formats are: monolithicSparse, monolithicFlat, twoGbMaxExtentSparse, twoGbMaxExtentFlat, seSparse (vSphere target), eagerZeroedThick (vSphere target), thin (vSphere target), thick (vSphere target), sparse, and flat. |
| --diskSize | Sets the size of a VM disk in megabytes using the syntax --diskSize:<VMID>,<diskInstanceID>=<value>. Only applies to vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --eula | N/A | OVF, OVA | Inserts the EULA in the first virtual system or virtual system collection in the OVF. If the EULA is in a file, use this format: --eula@=filename |
| --exportFlags | Specifies the source of an export. The supported values for vSphere source are: mac, uuid, and extraconfig. The supported value for vCloud source is preserveIdentity. You can provide one or more options, separated by commas. | ||
| --extraConfig | N/A | All | Sets an ExtraConfig element for all VirtualHardwareSections. This option applies to vi, vmx, vapprun, vCloud, ovf, and ova source locators. The syntax is –:extraConfig:<key>=<value> |
| --fencedMode | vCloud | If a parent network exists on a vCloud target, this option specifies the connectivity to the parent. Possible values are bridged, isolated, allowIn, allowInOut, allowOut. | |
| --help or -h | N/A | N/A | Prints the VMware OVF Tool message that lists the help options. |
| --hideEula | OVF,OVA | N/A | Does not include the EULA in the OVF probe output. Binary option. |
| --I:morefArgs | vSphere | vSphere | Integration option. Interpret arguments for networks, datastores, and folders as VIM Managed Object Reference identifiers (type:id) for vSphere source and destination locators. |
| --I:sourceSessionTicket | vSphere | vSphere | Integration option. Specifies the session ticket used for authenticating the vSphere source locator. |
| --I:targetSessionTicket | vSphere | vSphere | Integration option. Specifies the session ticket used for authenticating the vSphere target locator. |
| --importAsTemplate | Imports VM as a template when deployed on a VI target. |
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| --ipAllocationPolicy | OVF,OVA | N/A | IP allocation policy for a deployed OVF package. Supported values are: dhcpPolicy, transientPolicy, fixedPolicy, or fixedAllocatedPolicy. In OVF descriptors, you can specify a VMware specific IP assignment policy that guides the deployment process by expressing which of the policies the OVF package supports. Only values listed in the OVF descriptor are supported when the OVF or OVA package is deployed. |
| --ipProtocol | OVF, OVA | N/A | Specifies which IP protocol to use. For example, IPv4, IPv6. As with the ipAllocationPolicy option, you can specify which IP version this OVF package uses when it is deployed. Use only the values listed in the OVF descriptor. |
| --lax | OVF, OVA | N/A | Relax OVF specification conformance and virtual hardware compliance checks. (For advanced users only.) |
| --locale | OVF, OVA | N/A | Selects the locale for the target. |
| --machineOutput | N/A | N/A | Outputs OVF Tool messages in a machine readable format. Binary option. |
| --makeDeltaDisks | OVF, vSphere, VMX, vApprun | Must be directory | Use delta disk compression to create an OVF package from a disk source. Binary option. |
| --maxVirtualHardwareVersion | The maximal virtual hardware version to generate. | ||
| --memorySize | Sets the memory size in megabytes of a VM using the syntax --memorySize:<VMID>=<value>. Example: --memorySize:vm1=1024. Applies to VI and vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --multiDatastore:dsk=ds | OVF, OVA | vSphere | Allows multi-disk VM deployment onto separate datastores. Use this option as many times as needed The VM disk is placed on datastore ds as follows, where vmname is the name specified by --name option or in the OVF file, and vmdisk is specified in the OVF disk section by ovf:diskId.
[ds] vmname/vmdisk1.vmdk |
| --name or -n | N/A | All | Specifies the target name. Defaults to the source name. |
| --net | OVF, OVA | N/A | Sets a network assignment in the deployed OVF package. For example, --net:<OVFname>=<target name>. OVF packages contain symbolic names for network names which are assigned with this option. For multiple network mappings, repeat the option, separating them with a space, for example, --net:s1=t1 --net:s2=t2 --net:s3=t3. If the target is vCloud 5.5 or later, a fence mode can also be specified using the syntax --net:<OVFname>=<targetName>,<fenceMode>. Possible fence mode values are: bridged, isolated, and natRouted. |
| --network or -nw | OVF, OVA | N/A | Target network for a vSphere deployment. Use this option in place of the --net option when only one network exists in the OVF package. This option maps the symbolic OVF name to the specified network name. |
| --nic | Specifies NIC configuration in a VM using the syntax --nic:<VMID>,<index>=<OVFnetName>,<isPrimary>,<ipAddressingMode>,<ipAddress>. Possible values for ipAddressingMode are: DHCP, POOL, MANUAL, and NONE. ipAddress is optional and should only be used when ipAddressingMode is set to MANUAL. Only applies to vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. |
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| --noDestinationSSLVerify | Skips SSL verification for target VI connections. | ||
| --noDisks | N/A | All | Creates and uploads the virtual machine or vApps but does not upload any disk files. Disks are created empty. (Disables disk conversion.) |
| --noImageFiles | N/A | All | Creates and uploads the virtual machine or vApps but does not upload ISO files to a CD-ROM. That is, does not include image files in destination. |
| --noNvramFile | vSphere | vSphere | Skips the NVRAM file when exporting a VM to OVF or deploying OVF to a VM. It does not download the NVRAM file during VM export, nor does it upload the NVRAM file during deployment or OVF import. |
| --noProxyVerify | vCloud | vCloud | Do not check the proxy's SSL certificate, as is done by default. |
| --noSSLVerify | vSphere | vSphere | Skip SSL verification for vSphere connections. As of OVF Tool 4.4.0 you can skip source or destination verification with --noSourceSSLVerify (unless you also specify --sourceSSLThumbprint) or --noDestinationSSLVerify. |
| --numberOfCpus | Sets the number of CPUs for a VM using the syntax --numberOfCpus:<VMID>=<value>. Applies to VI and vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --overwrite or -o | N/A | All | Forces an overwrite of existing files. Binary option. |
| --packageCert | OVF | OVA | Packages an OVF into OVA with a required signature file, as-is, instead of generating one. This is the only way to create an OVA with a certificate file in it, resulting in a signed package. |
| --parallelThreads=N | vSphere | vSphere | Upload to the host, or from the host, in parallel using N threads. VMX<=>OVF, OVF<=>VI, VMX<=>VI, but not OVA. N may be a number from 1 to 100 but should approximate the number of CPU cores minus one. |
| --powerOffSource | vCloud, vSphere | N/A | Ensures that a virtual machine or vApp is powered off before importing from a vSphere source. Binary option. |
| --powerOffTarget | N/A | vCloud, vSphere | Ensures that a virtual machine or vApp is powered off before overwriting a vSphere target. Binary option. |
| --powerOn | N/A | vCloud, vSphere | Powers on a virtual machine or vApp deployed on a vSphere target. Binary option. |
| --preCheck | Require pre check validations before import or export. |
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| --privateKey | N/A | OVF, OVA | Signs the OVF package with the given private key (.pem file). The file must contain a private key and a certificate. |
| --privateKeyPassword | N/A | OVF, OVA | Password for the private key. Used in conjunction with --privateKey if the private key requires password authentication. If required but not specified, the tool prompts for the password. |
| --prop | OVF, OVA | N/A | Sets a property in the deployed OVF package. For example, --prop:<key>=<value>. Use probe mode to learn which properties an OVF package can set. For multiple property mappings, repeat the option, separating them with a blank, for example, --prop:p1=v1 --prop:p2=v2 --prop:p3=v3. |
| --proxy | OVF, OVA, vCloud, vSphere | OVF, OVA, vCloud, vSphere | Specifies and enables a proxy for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, vSphere, and vCloud access. The proxy is expressed as the URL to the proxy. For example, for proxy.example.com, the option value is: https://proxy.example.com:345 OVF Tool supports proxies that require authentication. If you do not provide credentials in the URL, the OVF Tool prompts you for them. The --proxy flag enables both vSphere (VI) and vCloud proxies. |
| --proxyCert=vcdCert | vCloud | vCloud | Specifies the certification file for vCloud. |
| --proxyNTLMAuth | OVF, OVA, vCloud, vSphere | OVF, OVA, vCloud, vSphere | Enables support for the NTLM authentication and security protocol. NT LAN Manager is the authentication protocol used on networks that include systems running the Windows operating system and on stand-alone systems. |
| --proxyPassword | Proxy password. | ||
| --proxyUsername | Name of proxy user. | ||
| --pullUploadMode | HTTP, HTTPS | vSphere | Offers fast deployments of OVF packages by enabling a mode where OVF source files (VMDKs etc.) are copied directly from source to ESXi without ovftool in between. See Deploying an OVF Package using Pull Mode for details. |
| --quiet or -q | N/A | N/A | Prints only errors. No other output is sent to the screen. Binary option. |
| --requireSignature | OVF, OVA | OVF, OVA | A certificate file (signature) must be present for the package when reading (probing) or opening a package. |
| --schemaValidate | OVF, OVA | N/A | Validates OVF descriptor against the OVF schema. Binary option. |
| --shaAlgorithm | sha1, sha256, sha512 | Use this option to condense with Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) for manifest validation, digital signing, and OVF package creation. Can be either sha1 (SHA-1), sha256 (SHA-256), or sha512 (SHA-512). The default value is sha256. | |
| --skipManifestCheck | OVF, OVA | N/A | Skips validation of the OVF package manifest. Binary option. |
| --skipManifestGeneration | N/A | OVF, OVA | Skips generation of the OVF package manifest. Binary option. |
| --sourcePEM | File path to a Privacy Enhanced Mail (.pem) file used to verify vSphere connections. Example: --sourcePEM:<filename>.pem |
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| --sourceSSLThumbprint | vSphere | N/A | SSL thumbprint of the source. OVF Tool verifies the SSL thumbprint that it receives from the source, if this value is set. |
| --sourceType or -st | OVF, OVA, VMX, VMX, VI, vCloud, ISO, FLP, vApprun | N/A | Explicitly expresses that the source is OVF, OVA, VMX, VMX, vSphere, vCloud, ISO, FLP, or vApprun. |
| --sslCipherList | Allows override of the default cipher list. Diffie-Hellman is disabled by default. | ||
| --sslVersion | Either TLSv1_0, TLSv1_1, or TLSv1_2. The TLSv1_0 protocol is disabled by default. | ||
| --storageProfile | Sets the storage profile for a VM using the syntax --storageProfile:<VMID>=<value>. Applies only to vCloud targets of version 5.5 or later. | ||
| --targetPEM | File path to a Privacy Enhanced Mail (.pem) file used to verify vSphere connections. Example: --targetPEM:<filename>.pem |
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| --targetSSLThumbprint | N/A | vSphere | SSL thumbprint of the target. OVF Tool verifies the SSL thumbprint that it receives from the target, if this value is set. |
| --targetType or -tt | N/A | OVF, OVA, VMX, VI, vCloud, ISO, FLP, vApprun | Explicitly express that the target is OVF, OVA, VMX, VMX, vSphere, vCloud, ISO, FLP, or vApprun. |
| --vCloudTemplate | Create only a vAppTemplate. | ||
| --vService | OVF, OVA | N/A | Set a dependency on a vService provider in the OVF package, using the following syntax: --vService:<dependencyId>=<providerId> |
| --verifyOnly | All | N/A | Do not upload the source; just verify it. This applies only to vSphere 4. |
| --verifyViTargetManifest | vSphere, VI | vSphere, VI | Upon import of OVF, does extra check and validates the SHA1 digest of a file transferred to a VI Target against the SHA1 digest of the source file being transferred. SHA1 takes effect for all SHA calculations, so the host must support SHA1. Not compatible with --pullUploadMode. |
| --version or -v | N/A | N/A | Shows version information for OVF Tool. Binary option. |
| --viCpuResource | N/A | vSphere | Specify the CPU resource settings for VI locator targets. The syntax is: --viCpuResource=<shares>:<reservation>:<limit> |
| --viMemoryResource | N/A | vSphere | Specify the memory resource settings for vSphere locator targets. The syntax is: --viMemoryResource=<shares>:<reservation>:<limit> |
| --vmFolder or -vf | N/A | vSphere | The target virtual machine folder in vSphere inventory (for a datacenter). |
| --X:ignoreLinkLocalIp | vSphere | vSphere | While waiting for an IPv4 or IPv6 address,ignore a link local address, 169.254.0.0/16 or fe80::/10. |
| --X:skipContentLength | N/A | N/A | Avoids sending the Content-Length header in HTTP(S) requests. This is the default option for vCloud targets. |
| --X:vmxFromConfigFile | vSphere | vSphere | Extract ConfigInfo from a live VM, convert it to VMX, and save results in the specified file. You can also specify a file to log this transaction. For example: --X:vmxFromConfigFile=vmxConfigInfoAsVmx --X:logFile=cfgInfo.log |
| --X:waitForIpv4 | vSphere | vSphere | Have OVF Tool wait for an IPv4 address to be sure the network is initialized. |
| --X:waitForIpv6 | vSphere | vSphere | Have OVF Tool wait for an IPv6 address to be sure the network is initialized. |
Run ovftool -h debug for explanations of the available --X options.
