Failed to Deploy OVF package

Failed to deploy package: File ds:///vmfs/volumes/UUID/_deviceImage-0.iso was not found

While working on setup for a Custom version of our Exchange 2013/2016 Ultimate Bootcamp today, I came across a problem which is not new, but was new to me.

A colleague had saved some VMs to OVA format for deployment in a Master vApp.  As I went to deploy them, I received the following error message:

After doing some research, I came across a couple of articles.  Neither gave me what I needed, but through combining bits and experimenting, I found a solution.

PROBLEM: 

   The VMs had ISOs attached to their CD-ROMs when the were exported to OVA format.
   The OVF file inside the OVA package has information about the attached ISO.

 

SOLUTION:

1. Uncompressed the OVA file using either TAR on Linux/ESXi or 7-Zip on Windows.
2. Located the OVF file which contains the configuration of the VM to deploy.

   
   

   
   

     

3. In the VMname.OVF file, I searched for “vmware.cdrom.iso”
4. I replaced vmware.cdrom.iso with vmware.cdrom.remotepassthrough and saved the file.
   
   
5. Calculated a new SHA1 hash for the updated VMname.OVF file using HashMyFiles (Download here: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html)
   
   
6. Edited the VMname.mf file and replaced the SHA1 hash for the VMname.ovf with the new one & saved the file.
   
      
    
7. Deployed a new VM using the OVF file.
8. Optionally you could repackage the OVF to an OVA using either OVFTool or TAR in a host.
   tar cvf VMname.ova VMname.ovf
   tar uvf VMname.ova *.mf *.vmdk

Another option would be to simply delete the MF file.  vSphere deployment of the OVF then wouldn't do a hash check at all and the install will complete as expected.  Your choice!