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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Converting OVA images to KVM"
+description: "Converting an Open Virtual Appliance OVA-File to use in KVM"
+category: server
+tags: [Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, OVA, Virtual Appliance]
+---
+{% include JB/setup %}
+
+The Open Virtualization Format (OVF) is an open standard for packaging and distributing virtual appliances for the use in virtual machines. 
+An OVA file is a one file alternative to pack a multi file OVF directory. 
+This is a short example how to convert OVA for the use in a proxmox 2.0 KVM environment. The OVA file was exported from the Virtualbox software, where we had build a debian based virtual machine. 
+
+## Extract the OVA Archive
+OVA files are TAR archives with the OVF directory inside. <br />
+In this case the OVA-file was created with Virtualbox. To extract the archive do 
+ 
+    tar -xvf Virtual_Appliance_Debian.ova
+    => 
+    Virtual_Appliance_Debian.ovf
+    Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.vmdk
+
+You get Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.vmdk which is a virtual machine disk file. The VMDK file format was developed for the use in VMWare or Virtualbox. It is an open format.
+
+## Converting VMDK to RAW and from RAW to qcow2
+With the free available software Virtualbox it is possible to convert VMDK disk files to RAW image format. 
+
+    VBoxManage clonehd --format RAW Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.vmdk Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.raw
+    => Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.raw
+    
+Convert the RAW image file to qemu format: 
+
+    qemu-img convert -f raw Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.raw -O qcow2  Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.qcow2
+    => Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.qcow2
+<br />
+## Use qcow2 files in Proxmox 2.0
+The use of an existing qcow2 file in proxmox 2.0 is very easy. Just create a new virtual machine and replace the disk file with the qcow2 file. 
+
+* create a new KVM virtual machine via the proxmox webinterface.
+  * Click __Create VM__.
+  * __General__: select Node, VM ID and Name.
+  * __OS__: Select the operating system type of your virtual machine.
+  * __CD/DVD__: Do not use any media.
+  * __Hard Disk__: Select existing lvm storage for __storage__ and choose same or better bigger disk size as the original VM disk size.
+  * __other Tabs__: as needed for the new virtual machine.
+  * __Confirm__: Click __Finish__
+
+Proxmox has created a new disk file for the virtual machine. Do not start the new VM. Replace the proxmox generated qcow2 file with our Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.qcow2    
+ 
+    mv Virtual_Appliance_Debian-disk.qcow2 /var/lib/vz/images/105/vm-105-disk-1.qcow2
+   
+Start the virtual machine via the proxmox webinterface.
+
+## Insertion: About Unzipping 7zip files
+Sometimes we use 7zip compressed files for easier transportation of disk images. <br /> 
+Install 7zip if not already installed:
+
+    sudo apt-get install p7zip
+
+Unzip the 7zip file:
+
+    7z x Virtual_Appliance_Debian.ova.7z
+    
+<br />
+## see also
+external information sources:
+* Convert Virtualbox vdi to KVM qcow: [http://blog.bodhizazen.net/linux/convert-virtualbox-vdi-to-kvm-qcow/](http://blog.bodhizazen.net/linux/convert-virtualbox-vdi-to-kvm-qcow/)
+* Migration of servers to Proxmox VE: [http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Migration_of_servers_to_Proxmox_VE#VMware_to_Proxmox_VE_.28KVM.29](http://pve.proxmox.com/wiki/Migration_of_servers_to_Proxmox_VE#VMware_to_Proxmox_VE_.28KVM.29)
+* qcow image format: [http://people.gnome.org/~markmc/qcow-image-format.html](http://people.gnome.org/~markmc/qcow-image-format.html)
+