User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances VMware Studio 2.6 This document supports the version of each product listed and supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs. EN-000830-00
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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.
VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
User’s Guide to Deploying vApps and Virtual Appliances
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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