How do I deploy an OVF file by using the vSphere Web Client?
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I want to use the VMware vSphere® Web Client to deploy an Open Virtualization Format (OVF).
Use the following steps to use the VMware vSphere Web Client to deploy an OVF file:
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Before you attempt to deploy an OVF file, add the following host information to the
/etc/hostsfile:- Host information for Platform Services Controller (PSC)
- Host information for VMware ESXi® server
- Host information for vCenter
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Check your
/etc/hostsfile to ensure that this information is successfully added. An example of a hosts file might look like the following list:10.131.9.201 psc-myinstance.myinstance.mydomain.com 10.131.7.26 host0.myinstance.mydomain.com 10.131.7.39 host1.myinstance.mydomain.com 10.131.7.6 host2.myinstance.mydomain.com 10.131.7.48 host3.myinstance.mydomain.com 10.131.9.196 vcenter-1.myinstance.mydomain.com -
Ensure that you have access to all the necessary VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) in the IBM Cloud® infrastructure customer portal. In this example, it would be
10.131.7.xxand10.131.9.xxx. -
Sign in the VPN for your data center.
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Click vCenter to access the vSphere Web Client.
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Right-click a host and deploy an
.ovffile.