Author, configure, deploy and customize virtual machines, vApps and virtual appliances that can be deployed on VMware vSphere, or vCloud Director with VMware Studio. VMware Studio supports packaging and distribution of virtual machines, vApps and virtual appliances in the industry standard Open Virtualization Format (OVF) format. OVF enhances customers' experience with virtualization, with more portability, platform independence, verification, signing, versioning and integrated licensing terms.
Studio is designed to be used by ISVs, developers, IT professionals and members of the virtualization community. It is a free product and is available as a virtual appliance.
VMware Studio Resources
Reduce Development Costs by Building Virtual Applications
Packages software applications into Linux-based VMs and Windows-based virtual appliances and vApps that are ready to run and are optimized for various VMware product platforms . Virtual appliances and vApps generated by VMware Studio contain an in-guest management agent with a web console that you can brand and ship as part of a customized virtual appliance. VMware Studio can also build both Linux-based VMs and Windows-based virtual appliances and vApps, running single tier or multi-tier applications.
VMware Studio offers three interfaces to create virtual appliances:
- A command line interface, typically used for automation
- A web-based user interface
- An Eclipse plug-in for developers using Eclipse
What are Virtual Appliances?
A virtual appliance is a pre-packaged VM that contains the operating system and the application components. It can be shipped as an OVF (Open Virtualization Format) package that can be easily deployed on various VMware platforms.
What are vApps?
A multi-VM OVF package is called a vApp. For instance, to ship a CRM solution, the vApp can contain the database server VM, application server VM and a web server VM packaged into one unit. The vApp gives application owners a standard way to describe operational policies for an application which the cloud OS can automatically interpret and execute. Therefore, vApps are self-describing to and self-managing on the platform they run. vApps can comprise any applications running on any OS, providing a mechanism to move applications between internal clouds or external clouds while retaining the same service levels. vApps are the next generation of virtual appliance, covering a broad and diverse range of virtual applications created by ISVs, developers, enterprise admins or IT professionals.
Anyone using VMware vSphere or vCloud Director can use the vApp to encapsulate a multi-virtual machine application. ISVs can use VMware Studio to create vApps that can be automatically updated and maintained by VMware vSphere or vCloud Director.
Virtual appliances or vApps created by VMware Studio run seamlessly on VMware products such as VMware vSphere, VMware vCloud Director, VMware Infrastructure, VMware ESXi, VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion, as well as on third-party virtualization products that support the OVF specification.
vApp and Virtual Appliance Components
Virtual appliances and vApps created by VMware Studio have the following components:
- Operating System: VMware Studio can be used to author vApps on a large number of operating system distributions. VMware Studio also supports Just enough Operating Systems (JeOS) - minimal operating system packages derived off standard OS packages, as may be specified by certain developers. This ensures a smaller and more secure footprint.
- VMware Tools: VMware Studio bundles a set of VMware tools during the build of a vApp. It enables better communication between VMware virtualization platforms and the vApp
- Virtual Appliance Management Infrastructure (VAMI): The in-guest management component provides a web console to manage the vApp. VAMI provides the ability to change network settings, update the virtual appliance or vApp, and control the state of the system (shutdown/reboot).
- Application: This developer created application (or a set of applications) performs the intended task for which the virtual appliance or vApp is built.
