4.8 Deployment of VM

✅ Deployment of VM

deployment in VM = take a VM to a different computer

1️⃣ Create a .ova file

ova: Open Virtualization Appliance

• open: standard, everybody can use it
• .ova file is open, standard
• .ova file is like taking vbox and vdi and making a compressed folder

💡 step by step of using .ova file for deployment

• 1️⃣ Create the .ova file from host 1
• 2️⃣ Then send the compressed file to host 2
• ❓ How can I send the ova file?
• (1) using a USB, external disk
• (2) use cloud
• (3) use massive transfer platform: file sharing platform, then download
• 👀 like dropbox, Drive, eTransfer, Mega…
• 3️⃣ In host 2, import the ova file

👎🏻 Problems of using ova file method for deployment

• the ova file contains the settings of the original computer
• so when use the ova in the new host,
• the settings have to be modified, need to be updated for the host 2
• adopt the vbox

🛠️ When to use ova method

• when all computers are the same
• like in a company
• many companies can have Windows + LTSC(longterm, no updates)
• so that all company computers are identical

💡 How to create ova file in host 2

• 1️⃣ turn machine off
• 2️⃣ archivo > export

• 3️⃣ select the machine you want to create the ova file
• 4️⃣ decide if you want to contain the iso inside the ova file

• ❓ when to contain the iso inside the ova
• when you did not install
• so if you are finished with installing, do not contain it
• 5️⃣ do not change the name of the ova
• 6️⃣ the ova file is always stored in the documents folder in the user c:\usuarios\<username>/Documents
• many ppl try to find the ova in the virtual box folder, ova is inside Documents folder
• 7️⃣ if the ova is for an official, comercial purpose(if I am trying to sell this ova), you add comments

• url: url that you will upload the ova
• 8️⃣ then click on terminal

🟧 ova is orange

• vbox: 🟦 settings
• vdi: 🟥 harddisk
• extension pack: 🟩
• ova: 🟧 ova

💡 in host 2, import

• in host 2, you have to import the ova file
• so go to the VM, and navigate to import
• dont change any settings
• but make sure: MAC address
• MAC address: choose option corresponding to the number of the VM interconnected

⭐️ Important note

• when you use ova method
• remeber you have to adapt the vbox settings to your computer
• according to host2

👎🏻 Back and forth and Rewriting

• Back and forth:
• when you try to import the updated ova and you alredy have the VM installed
• it will say “This ova already exsits”
• 👉🏻 so you will have to overwrite the original VM
• 👎🏻 Overwrite is bad for secondary memory, harddisks
• haddisks will lose elasticity

💡 OCI

• Oracle Clouding Interface
• so oracle offers their clouding service for their ova
• If you want to use OCI instead of export > archivo for creating a normal ova
• do machine > exportar a OCI

2️⃣ Send/Move host1 complete folder to the host2

💡 How to send the folder

• 1️⃣ do right click > mostar en explorador

• 2️⃣ go one folder up, then you can take the whole folder
• 폴더 통째로 선택할 수 있도록 폴더 구조 위로 올라가기

• 3️⃣ now send the whole folder to the host2
• 4️⃣ In host 2, you have two options
• (1) Fast deployment
• (2) Slow deployment

⭐️ Fast deployment

• double click on vbox
• 👎🏻 if the vbox is not compatible between host1 and host2
• you will get an error, aborted
• does not give you the opportunity to adopt the settings

⭐️ Slow deployment

• in host 2 VirtualBox, maquina > añadir

• then you can navigate to the concete vbox
• the scaffold will appear
• then you can modify the settings, modify the vbox

👎🏻 Back and forth and Rewriting

• same problem with the ova

3️⃣ Synchronized

👍🏻 Synchronized

• do not have the problem of back and forth and rewriting
• whatever I do to the VM host2 will be applied, kept for host1

💡 How to use synchronized method

• you take the VM to an external disk, USB
• create in host2 a link/an access to that VM, inside the host2
• so that USB is the VM
• 👍🏻 each computer will be a perfect access to the VM
• the VM will always be the same

• 👍🏻 and you always carry the VM in your USB

• But to create a VM inside the external disk is slow
• So you can create the VM in the internal disk
• and copy it to the external disk
• then create the access in host2

💡 How to create a new access to my machine in USB

• 1️⃣ maquina > new

• 2️⃣ Name: should be the same as the original machine
• 3️⃣ Folder: always C:
• remember, you are just creating an access, not a new machine.
• the access is in your host2
• folder should be C:
• 4️⃣ iso: add it, VirtualBox makes adding iso mandatory, obliged
• but we are not going to use the iso, so just add any iso
• purpose: to continue with Virtual Box, to omit unattended iso
• Virtual Box does not let you omit unattended installation unless u add an iso

• 5️⃣ Hardware: allocate how much resource of host2 you will give to the VM
• allocate half of RAM, cores

• 6️⃣ Harddisk: do not create a new vdi
• remember, you are just creating an access, not a new machine.
• you navigate, and use the existing vdi