Configure the appliance OVF location

By default, the Deep Security Virtual Appliance OVF file is located on the Deep Security Manager computer at https://<deep_security_manager_host>:4119/dsva/dsva.ovf. If you want, you can place the OVF at a different location, such as on a separate web server, and then point your manager to it. You might want to do this:

  • to improve reliability, and improve the download speed of the appliance OVF.
  • to fix deployment errors in NSX caused by connectivity issues. The error might look like this: Installation of deployment unit failed, please check if ovf/vib urls are accessible, in correct format and all the properties in ovf environment have been configured in service attributes. Please check logs for details.

To configure the appliance OVF location:

First, obtain the appliance ZIP package (it contains the OVF file):

  1. In Deep Security Manager, click Administration at the top.
  2. On the left, expand Updates > Software > Local (if you've already imported the virtual appliance), or Updates > Software > Download Center (if you haven't).
  3. Find the virtual appliance ZIP file. It is named Appliance-ESX-<appliance_version>.x86_64.zip.
  4. Click Export > Export Package. The ZIP downloads to the local computer.

Next, place the appliance files on a web server:

  1. Extract the ZIP file.
  2. In the root of the ZIP file, find the dsva.ovf and system.vmdk files.

    If the ZIP file version is 12 Update 3 (12.0.682) or later, find instead the *.ovf, *.vmdk, *.mf, and *.cert files.

  3. Place these files on a web server that is accessible to your ESXi and manager server.
  4. On the web server, add the MIME type of each of the file types you just copied. The MIME types are described in the following table. Consult your web server documentation for detailed instructions on adding MIME types to the web server.
    File extensionMIME type
    ovfapplication/vmware
    vmdkapplication/octet-stream
    mftext/cache-manifest
    certapplication/x-x509-user-cert

Finally, configure the manager to point to the new OVF location:

  1. In Deep Security Manager, click Computers at the top.
  2. On the left, expand Computers, right-click your vCenter, and select Properties.
  3. Click the NSX Configuration tab.
  4. Select Host the Deep Security Virtual Appliance software package on a local Web Server instead of Deep Security Manager database.
  5. Under URL to Virtual Appliance OVF, enter the URL location of the OVF. Example: https://my.webserver.com/dsva/dsva.ovf.

    If you're using NSX 2.5.x, make sure to use HTTP rather than HTTPS. See knowledge base article 157039 for details.

  6. Click OK.

The appliance OVF is now accessible to the manager and your ESXi server. You should now be able to deploy the appliance from its new location. For instructions on deploying or upgrading the appliance, see Deploy the appliance (NSX-T), Deploy the appliance (NSX-V), and Upgrade the Deep Security Virtual Appliance.