OVF Import Fixes

Computer Notes > VSphere > OVF Import Fixes

Troubleshooting: vSphere ovftool Deployment Errors

This guide addresses common "Unsupported value" errors during OVF/OVA deployment to vCenter, typically caused by ExtraConfig parameters that are incompatible with the target host or security policies.

1. The Common Error

Typically occurs when the OVA contains advanced VMX settings (like rxDataRingEnabled or isolation.tools) that the target vCenter/ESXi version does not recognize.

Error: OVF Package is not supported by target:
 - Line -1: Unsupported value 'ethernet0.rxDataRingEnabled' for attribute 'key' on element 'ExtraConfig'.
 - Line -1: Unsupported value 'isolation.tools.*' ...

2. Solution: The Extraction & Clean Method

If the --allowExtraConfig flag fails, follow these steps to manually strip the problematic keys from the OVF descriptor.

Step 1: Unpack the OVA

The OVA file is a tar archive. Extract it to access the XML (.ovf) file. <source lang="bash"> tar -xvf your-appliance.ova </source>

Step 2: Strip ExtraConfig Lines

Use sed to remove all lines containing "ExtraConfig". <source lang="bash"> sed '/ExtraConfig/d' *.ovf > cleaned.ovf </source>

Step 3: Deploy via Cleaned OVF

Point ovftool to the new cleaned.ovf file. You must use the --skipManifestCheck flag because the OVF checksum has changed. <source lang="bash"> ./ovftool --noSSLVerify --skipManifestCheck \ --name="MY_VM_NAME" \ --datastore="MY_DATASTORE" \ --network="MY_NETWORK" \ cleaned.ovf \ 'vi://administrator%40vsphere.local:PASSWORD@vcenter-fqdn/DATACENTER/host/CLUSTER_NAME' </source>

3. Common Pathing (Locator) Fixes

If you receive the error Locator does not refer to an object, the path in your vi:// URL is likely incorrect. vCenter requires a specific hierarchy:

• Targeting a Cluster: vi://.../DATACENTER/host/CLUSTER_NAME
• Targeting a Resource Pool: vi://.../DATACENTER/host/CLUSTER_NAME/Resources/POOL_NAME
• Targeting a Specific Host: vi://.../DATACENTER/host/ESXI_HOSTNAME

4. Notes

• ExtraConfig: Removing these lines deletes hardware optimizations and security hardening. For most appliances, this is non-critical for initial deployment and boot.
• Special Characters: Ensure the username (e.g., administrator@vsphere.local) is URL encoded (administrator%40vsphere.local).