What is the difference when creating a VM appliance via "Export OVF Template" and VMware Studio?

VMware Studio gives your far greater control and flexibility at creating Virtual Appliances for Customers.

However similar results can be obtained with the Deploy OVF option.

VMware Studio can be seen as a Developers Tool for distribution of vApps, Appliances.

It depends if you need the IDE, Dev and Test environments.

If you just want to give an OVF to a client Use Deploy OVF, if you are a Software House, Publisher, and are selling a vApp or Appliance, then use VMware Studio.

End Result the SAME, but without the wrap around Developement Environment, that programmers use.

They do the same thing; VMware Studio is a more robust tool to use for packaging multiple VMs into a vApp...a multi-VM pkg, whereas with using the Client, you can only create a single VM virtual appliance (VA).

~coolsport00

I exported the OVA file using vSphere client.  When I import the VM back into my ESX, and start it, it give the networking options in the beginning,
i.e.
Login
Configure Network
Set Timezone

What determines if these options show up or not?

Thanks
Jamie

I meant above, importing the OVA file that was generated from vSphere client does NOT give the networking options in the beginning

Basically if you develop an OVF/OVA in VMware Studio, they will, unless you turn off vami.timezone!

Export OVF from vSphere 4.0, which is really used to quickly move VMs around, Export/Import does not give this information.

VMware Studio designed OVA, OVF, Appliances or vApps, contains many End User functions like Auto Updating, again VMware Studio is a Development Tool to Deploy software, vApps or Appliances to Customers and Clients, Products that are sold.

Just like developing a software app with Microsoft Visual Studio.

Export OVF is a very cut down version, that does not contain all the bells and whistles.

I see...
Then how do I export a VM into an appliance from Studio?

Thanks
Jamie

You can Import an existing VM into VMware Studio.

Use the studiocli command to discover the properties of an existing VM. After discovery, studiocli creates
an import profile that you can edit into a build profile using the Web console.

You can use any successful Linux VM build to create a new Linux VM.

otherwise if it's WIndows based vApp, you will need to build in Vmware Studio, from the ISO.

The documentation for studicli says
studiocli --importvm <http://vmurl./ovf/ova/zip> --profile
/<path>/<mybuildprofile.xml>

Where can I find the VM url?

Thanks
Jamie

I think need to export the OVA file from vSphere client and use that was my importvm?
And the buildprofile.xml is one of the default build OS build profile that comes with Studio

What is your end goal?

What OS does your VM have in it?

My VM has to have CentOS 6 w/ my app server on it.