Open Virtualization Format Toolkit

The Open Virtualization Format Toolkit provides a set of Eclipse plug-ins, as well as a standard Java API to help you create virtual appliance packages in the new standards-based format, the Open Virtualization Format.

A software virtual appliance is one or more virtual machines that collectively provide a specific function for a business user, through the services of a virtualization platform.

A virtualization platform, also known as a hypervisor, is the software running on a physical machine that manages and runs your virtual machines.

Vendors that build software virtual appliances today are faced with non-standard methods of distributing and deploying the virtual appliances to their customers. The Open Virtualization Format (OVF) standard tackles this problem by standardizing the description and format of virtual image appliances.

The Open Virtualization Format specification from Distributed Management Task Force, Inc.(DMTF) differs from other standards, such as Common Information Model (CIM) in that OVF uniquely addresses the challenges of packaging and distribution of virtual machines in support of deployment, whereas standards such as CIM manage virtual machines after deployment.

The Open Virtualization Format Toolkit helps to package and distribute the virtual appliance in conformance to the new OVF standard.

This toolkit provides an easy-to-use editor that performs the tasks of creating the required package descriptors, ensuring compliance to the defined standard, as well as capabilities to export the package files in a format that is consistent with industry standard deployment engines.

In support of this new editing capability, this package offers the set of Eclipse plug-ins necessary to extend your existing development environment.

Give Open Virtualization Format Toolkit a try to see how useful it can be in your development projects!