Simulator deployment fix for vCenter 6.5

[SeanHatfield]

When you deploy the ONTAP 9.1 simulator OVA to a vCenter 6.5 environment via the vCenter web client, you will see this error:

OVF package with compressed disks is currently not supported for OVF import.

This is a known issue found in the vCenter 6.5 release notes:

http://pubs.vmware.com/Release_Notes/en/vsphere/65/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-65-release-notes.html

The workaround is to repackage the OVA without compressing the disks.  This is a one-liner with ovftool:

ovftool vsim-esx-DOT9.1-cm.ova vsim-esx-DOT9.1-cm-fixed.ova

This fixed version should deploy without the compressed disks error.

You can get ovftool from vmware as a standalone install here:

https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/details?downloadGroup=OVFTOOL420&productId=491

Or you can use the one bundled with VMware Fusion or VMware Workstation.

/Applications/VMware Fusion.app/Contents/Library/VMware OVF Tool/ovftool

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\OVFTool\ovftool.exe

[ZekeS]

This doesn't seem to be enough to deploy the Simulator.

After I managed to decompress the disks using the ovf tool, then I get an error that the disk size is incorrect (larger than requested)

I managed to update the OVF and get it to deploy, but when I try booting up, it cannot find the disks...

[SeanHatfield]

Which version of the simulator? and which version of vCenter?

[ZekeS]

Ok, so this is for Version 9.3 and ESXi 6.5 (not vCenter)

The behavior I'm seeing more specifically is:

I can uncompress the disks no problem. When I try to deploy the OVA I get the following error.

Error uploading file <path-to-ovf.vmdk> to server. Capacity of uploaded disk is larger than requested

as per this:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2094607

I changed the following:

1. Navigate to the location of the OVF file
2. Open the OVF file using the text editor, and locate these tags:
   
   <DiskSection> </DiskSection>
   
   
3. Within this section, change the ovf:capacity="XXXXX" to the correct size of the vmdk(s)

and after playing with some numbers, I managed to get it to deploy, BUT:

After the deploy is successfull the sim won't boot up. I just get the DHCP client trying to find an IP to PXE boot from on all 4 network adapters and then just says missing OS.

[SeanHatfield]

It may have built it with a newer vmx version. I think vmx10 is that last one that works without intervention.  It's also possible the disks are attached in the wrong sequence.  The bootable disk is the ~2gb disk on IDE0:0.