OVA File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
File Extension .ova
Format Type Archive
Based On TAR
MIME Type application/x-virtualbox-ova
Main Purpose Virtual Machine Distribution
Compression Supported (gzip)
Multi-file Architecture No (single file)
Encryption Not natively supported
Portability High Across Various Virtualization Software
Contains Virtual Machine Hard Disks and Configuration
Editable Limited, with specific software
Standard OVF 1.1 and later
OS Compatibility Multi-platform
Typical Use Case Sharing VMs across different virtual environments
Maximum File Size Dependent on filesystem limits
Advantage All-in-one package for VM deployment
Disadvantage Potentially large file size
Required Software VirtualBox, VMware, etc.
Modification Support Through export/import features of virtualization platforms
Accessibility Easy to transfer and share
Security Risks As with any executable, risk of embedded malicious content