What is the OVF file format?
.ovf is an XML text file designed for the distribution of software for virtual machines. Rather than containing disk data itself, it describes the properties of a virtual machine or appliance and is always deployed alongside the disk image files it references - typically .vmdk or .vhd - plus a companion .mf manifest that records checksums for integrity verification. The complete set is standardised by the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force) under specification DSP0243. An alternative single-file packaging of the same content is the .ova archive, which bundles all files in a TAR container.
An .ovf package includes basic information: the name of a virtual machine, processor, mass storage, network and memory settings, and other parameters. Beyond the core hardware description, it is possible to add non-standard elements such as comments, start-up parameters, minimal requirements and other vendor-specific extensions.
.ovf files do not depend on a specific hypervisor or processor architecture - they are neutral regarding platform. Because of this specification, certain standards in virtual machine presentation and portability are widely applied across the industry. Unlike proprietary formats such as .vmx, the OVF standard provides a common baseline that clients and providers can rely on.
.ovf files enable flexible, safe and efficient distribution of software for enterprise deployments while maintaining mobility of virtual machines across multiple platforms. As a result, clients and providers can easily deploy a virtual machine based on the OVF standard on any virtualisation platform. The format also makes it easy to configure a virtual machine before first boot.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMAn OVF package delivers a complete, bootable operating system someone else built - treat it like an executable, not a document. A malicious or backdoored appliance runs real software the moment you power it on. Mitigations: download appliances only from the vendor or a trusted source, verify the .mf/.cert checksums when provided, keep the VM on an isolated/NAT network until you trust it, and don't share host folders or clipboard with an unknown guest. The .ovf XML on disk is inert; importing and starting the VM is what runs code.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open OVF files
Windows3 apps
VMware OVF Tool
Free Command line: ovftool source.ovf target.vmx - validate or convert the descriptor to VMware runtime format.
Oracle VirtualBox
Open-source File > Import Appliance, select the .ovf, review CPU/RAM/disk, then Import. Keep the .vmdk/.mf in the same folder.
VMware Workstation Pro
Free File > Open, pick the .ovf; free for personal use since 2024 (Broadcom). A free Broadcom account is needed to download. 
macOS3 apps
Oracle VirtualBox
Open-source File > Import Appliance, select the .ovf. Apple-silicon Macs need the VirtualBox ARM build and an ARM guest. 
Linux3 apps
VMware OVF Tool
Free ovftool descriptor.ovf out.vmx - convert/validate. Now hosted on developer.broadcom.com.
GNOME Boxes / virt-manager (QEMU/KVM)
Open-source Convert the referenced .vmdk with qemu-img to qcow2, then create a VM around it (KVM has no direct OVF importer). Technical details
deep spec| File type | Plain-text XML descriptor - not a disk image itself |
| Root element | `<Envelope>` in the DMTF OVF namespace (`http://schemas.dmtf.org/ovf/envelope/1`) |
| Character encoding | UTF-8 (XML) |
| Typical file size | 2 KB - 50 KB for the XML descriptor; referenced disk images alongside it are gigabytes |
| MIME type | `application/vnd.vmware.ovf`; also recognized as `application/xml` |
| OVF version signaled by | XML namespace suffix: `envelope/1` for OVF 1.x, `envelope/2` for OVF 2.x |
| Hardware described | CPU count, RAM, network adapters, disk controller type, disk references, and guest OS type |
| Multi-file requirement | Must be deployed with sibling `.vmdk` or `.vhd` disk images and usually a `.mf` manifest |
| Integrity verification | Companion `.mf` file lists SHA-1 or SHA-256 checksums of every file in the package |
| Single-file equivalent | `.ova` - a TAR archive bundling the `.ovf` descriptor, disk images and manifest together |
| Compression | None in the `.ovf` file itself; referenced VMDK disks may use streamOptimized compression |
| Platform neutrality | Hypervisor- and architecture-independent; supported by VMware, VirtualBox, QEMU/KVM and Hyper-V |
| Standards body | DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force), specification DSP0243; also ratified as ISO/IEC 17203:2017 |
| Optional signing | A `.cert` file alongside the package signs the `.mf` manifest using X.509 certificates |
| Released | OVF 1.0 published by DMTF in 2009 (DSP0243) |
| Latest version | OVF 2.1.1 (DMTF DSP0243, 2015); ISO/IEC 17203:2017 |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | www.dmtf.org |
OVF conversions
Community Q&A
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