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Table of Contents

This document describes how to define a guest operating system for a VM in VMware, for VMware vSphere versions 5 and 6.

Introduction to guest operating system definitions

When you create a VM template, to enable a hypervisor such as VMware ESXi to correctly configure VMs from the template, specify the guest operating system type and version. 

OVF uses DMTF's common information model, or CIM standard. The main website for https://www.dmtf.org/standards/cim/ and the operating system information can be found at: https://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/cim-html/2+/CIM_OperatingSystem.html. The DMTF issues new versions periodically, so check their website for updates. Also check which version your hypervisor provider is using.

Hypervisors have their own lists of supported operating systems based on specific versions of the CIM standard. For example, VMware has the VirtualMachineGuestOsIdentifier, which you can find in the VMware documentation.

How the cloud platform uses the guest operating system

When you upload an OVA file into the Abiquo cloud platform, it will automatically read the operating system type and version from the OVF. But you can also edit the VM template in the catalog and define the guest operating system type and version in the Advanced section of the dialog. The platform also uses the guest operating system type for other purposes, for example, to display an appropriate icon, and you can configure the icon files for each OS type.

The details of the operating system are stored in the Abiquo template only, not in the VM definition. Therefore, if you change a template after you deploy a VM, the changes will not be made to the VM. If you do not supply an operating system version, then the platform will use the latest version of the operating system that you specified.

The table below contains the values you can enter to define the resulting operating system. 

Deploy a Windows 10 64-bit VM on ESX 5.5+

To deploy a virtual machine with a Windows 10 64-bit guest operating system on ESX 5.5+.

The following values are set in the Operating System Section of the OVF description, which is included in the OVA.

Code Block
 <VirtualSystem ovf:id="vm">
  <Info>A virtual machine</Info>
  <Name>WinDev1810Eval</Name>
  <OperatingSystemSection ovf:id="121" vmw:osType="windows9_64Guest">
   <Info>The kind of installed guest operating system</Info>
  </OperatingSystemSection>
Tip

For the OperatingSystemSection, the "ovf:id" is an identifier from the CIM standard. You can find it in the CIM_OperatingSystem.mof file of the appropriate CIM standard. The first value in the file is 0, and the file is indexed with comment codes for every 10 values. For example, see https://schemas.dmtf.org/wbem/cim-html/2+/CIM_OperatingSystem.html

Abiquo will automatically create the following template in the catalog. You can also edit the template to configure this OS in the Abiquo UI or in the API.

Code Block
...
  <osType>WINDOWS_10_64</osType>
  <osVersion></osVersion>
...

...

Code Block
windows9_64Guest

Deploy a Windows 10 Server VM on ESX 5.5+

To deploy a virtual machine with a Windows 10 Server guest operating system on ESX 5.5+

Set the following values in the OVF file.

Code Block
  <OperatingSystemSection 
    ovf:id="121"
    ovf:version="Server">
      <Info>The kind of guest operating system installed</Info>
   		<Description>Windows 10 Server 64 bit</Description>
  </OperatingSystemSection>

This will create the following template definition in Abiquo. You can also set this template definition manually using the API or in the Abiquo database.

Code Block
...
  <osType>WINDOWS_10_64</osType>
  <osVersion>Server</osVersion>
...

The template definition will deploy on ESXi 5.5+ with the following OS type and version.

Code Block
windows9Server64Guest

Deploy a CentOS 64-bit VM on ESX 6.7+ 

To configure a CentOS 8 64-bit guest operating system, in the OVF file, you can configure the OperatingSystemSection as follows:

Code Block
  <OperatingSystemSection 
    ovf:id="107"
    ovf:version="8">
      <Info>The kind of guest operating system installed</Info>
   		<Description>CentOS 8 64-bit</Description>
  </OperatingSystemSection>

This would be converted by Abiquo into the following template definition:

Code Block
...
  <osType>CENTOS_64</osType>
  <osVersion>8</osVersion>
...

The template definition will deploy on ESXi 6.7+ as the following OS type.

Code Block
centos8_64Guest

The Abiquo multi-cloud platform will automatically read the operating system type and version from the OVF file, for example, when you upload an OVA archive. In particular Abiquo will read the ovf:id and ovf:version from the Operating system section. From the following example, Abiquo will assign osType=CENTOS_64 and osVersion=7 and when it deploys to ESXi, it will use "centos7_64Guest".

Code Block
<OperatingSystemSection ovf:id="107" ovf:version="7">


In Abiquo, you can modify the VM template in the Apps library and set the guest operating system type and version. And the platform will display an icon based on the guest operating system type, and you can configure your own icon files for this purpose.

The Abiquo multi-cloud platform stores the details of the operating system in the VM template but not in the definition of the VM. So deployed VMs will not be affected by changes to a VM template. To use the latest version of an operating system, do not select a specific version. Remember that the selection of the latest version will also depend on hypervisor support.

The table below contains the values you can enter to define the guest operating system.

For examples of how to use the operating system values, see How to set the guest operating system for VMware.

Table of operating system types

The following table contains the values you should enter in VM templates in the platform and the corresponding vSphere GuestOsIdentifiers for versions of VMware hypervisors.

...

(warning) = This operating might not be supported by all versions of VMware; please check the documentation for your version. If it is not available, a similar operating system will be used.available, a similar operating system will be used.

New versions of operating systems may not yet be described in the CIM standard, so to set these values please edit the VM template in Abiquo and set the appropriate values.


CIM
value


Abiquo Operating system /
osType

Abiquo OS version /
osVersion

vSphere GuestOsIdentifier

Since Version






system
ovf:id
Select this value in the UI
or enter with API
Enter this version To deploy with this
guest OS
in ESXi
ESX 5.0+ESX 5.5+ESX 6.X+ESX 6.5+ESX 6.7+ESX 7.0+
2

MACOS

("10.6" & "64")

darwin10_64Guest

5.0+     
2

MACOS

("10.6")

darwin10Guest

5.0+     
2

MACOS

("10.7" & "64")

darwin11_64Guest

5.0+     
2

MACOS

("10.7")

darwin11Guest

5.0+     
2

MACOS

("64")

darwin64Guest

5.0+     
2

MACOS

 

darwinGuest

5.0+     
2MACOSstarts with "12"darwin12_64Guest
5.5+     
2MACOSstarts with "13"darwin13_64Guest
5.5+    
2MACOSstarts with "14"darwin14_64Guest
 6.0+   
2MACOSstarts with "15"darwin15_64Guest
  6.5+

2MACOSstarts with "16"darwin16_64Guest
  6.5+

2MACOSstarts with "17"darwin17_64Guest
  
6.7+
2MACOSstarts with "18"darwin18_64Guest
  
6.7+
2MACOSstarts with "19"darwin19_64Guest
  

7.0+
29

SOLARIS

starts with "6"

solaris6Guest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

starts with "7"

solaris7Guest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

starts with "8"

solaris8Guest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

starts with "9"

solaris9Guest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

starts with "10"

solaris10Guest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

("Sun Java Desktop System")

sjdsGuest

5.0+     
29

SOLARIS

 

solaris10Guest

5.0+     
81

SOLARIS_64

starts with "10"

solaris10_64Guest

5.0++     
81

SOLARIS_64

 

solaris11_64Guest

5.0+     
79RHEL redhatGuest5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "2"

rhel2Guest

5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "3"

rhel3Guest

5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "4"

rhel4Guest

5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "5"

rhel5Guest

5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "6"

rhel6Guest

5.0+     
79

RHEL

starts with "7"

rhel7 


5.5+    
80

RHEL_64

starts with "3"

rhel3_64Guest

5.0+     
80

RHEL_64

starts with "4"

rhel4_64Guest

5.0+     
80

RHEL_64

starts with "5"

rhel5_64Guest

5.0+     
80

RHEL_64

starts with "6"

rhel6_64Guest

5.0+     
80RHEL_64starts with "7"rhel7_64Guest 
5.5+    
80RHEL_64("8") rhel8_64Guest

   6.7+ 
82

SUSE

("Open")

opensuseGuest

5.0+     
82

SUSE

 

suseGuest (warning)

5.0+     
83

SUSE_64

("Open")

opensuse64Guest (warning)

5.0+     
83

SUSE_64

 

suse64Guest

5.0+     
84

SLES

 

slesGuest

5.0+     
84

SLES

starts with "10"

sles10Guest

5.0+     
84

SLES

starts with "11"

sles11Guest

5.0+     
84SLESstarts with "12"sles12
5.5+    
85SLES_64 sles64Guest5.0+     
85

SLES_64

starts with "10"

sles10_64Guest

5.0+     
85

SLES_64

starts with "11"

sles11_64Guest

5.0+     
85SLES_64starts with "12"sles12_64Guest 
5.5+    
85SLES_64("15")sles15_64Guest

  6.7+
86

NOVELL_OES

 

oesGuest

5.0+     
86

NOVELL_OES

starts with "9"

nld9Guest

5.0+     
86

NOVELL_OES

("NetWare 4")

netware4Guest

5.0+     
86

NOVELL_OES

("NetWare 5")

netware5Guest

5.0+     
86

NOVELL_OES

("NetWare 6")

netware6Guest

5.0+     
89

MANDRIVA

 

mandrivaGuest

5.0+     
90

MANDRIVA_64

 

mandriva64Guest

5.0+     
91

TURBOLINUX

 

turboLinuxGuest

5.0+      
92

TURBOLINUX_64

 

turboLinux64Guest

5.0+     
93

UBUNTU

 

ubuntuGuest

5.0+     
94

UBUNTU_64

 

ubuntu64Guest

5.0+     
95

DEBIAN

starts with "4"

debian4Guest

5.0+     
95

DEBIAN

starts with "5"

debian5Guest

5.0+     
95

DEBIAN

starts with "6"

debian6Guest

5.0+     
95DEBIANstarts with "7"debian7
5.5+    
95DEBIANstarts with "8"debian8
 6.0+   
95DEBIANstarts with "9"debian9Guest
  6.5+

95DEBIANstarts with "10"debian10Guest
  6.5+

95DEBIANstarts with "11"debian11Guest
  

7.0+
96

DEBIAN_64

starts with "4"

debian4_64Guest

5.0+     
96

DEBIAN_64

starts with "5"

debian5_64Guest

5.0+     
96

DEBIAN_64

starts with "6"

debian6_64Guest

5.0+      
96DEBIAN_64starts with "7"debian7_64Guest
5.5+    
96DEBIAN_64starts with "8"debian8_64Guest
 6.0+   
96DEBIAN_64starts with "9"debian9_64Guest
  6.5+

96DEBIAN_64starts with "10"debian10_64Guest
  6.5+

96DEBIAN_64starts with "11"debian11_64Guest
  

7.0+
42

FREEBSD

 

freebsdGuest

5.0+     
42

FREEBSD

 

freebsdGuest

5.0+     
42

FREEBSD

"11" 

freebsd11Guest


   6.7+
42

FREEBSD

"12" 

freebsd12Guest


   6.7+
78

FREEBSD_64

 

freebsd64Guest

5.0+     
78

FREEBSD_64

"11"

freebsd11_64Guest


   6.7+
78

FREEBSD_64

"12"

freebsd12_64Guest


   6.7+
76

WINDOWS_SERVER_2008

 

windows7Server64Guest

5.0+     
77

WINDOWS_SERVER_2008_64

 

windows7Server64Guest

5.0+     
103

WINDOWS_SERVER_2008_R2

 

windows7Server64Guest

5.0+      
115

WINDOWS_SERVER_2012_R2

 

windows8Server64Guest


 6.0+   
116

WINDOWS_SERVER_2016

 

windows9Server64Guest


 
 6.7+
105

WINDOWS_7

("Server")

windows7Server64Guest

5.0+     
105

WINDOWS_7

("64")

windows7_64Guest

5.0+     
105

WINDOWS_7

 

windows7Guest

5.0+     
113

WINDOWS_8

 

windows8Guest

5.0+     
113

WINDOWS_81

 

windows8Guest

5.0+ 
   
113

WINDOWS

 

windows8Guest


 6.0+   
114

WINDOWS

("64")

windows8_64Guest

5.0+     
114

WINDOWS_8_64

 

windows8Server64Guest

5.0+     
114

WINDOWS_81_64

 

windows8Server64Guest


 6.0+   
114

WINDOWS

starts with "8" ("Server")

windows8Server64Guest

5.0+     
114WINDOWS("Hyper") ("hyper")windowsHyperVGuest
5.5+    
119WINDOWS_10
windows9 
5.5+
   
120WINDOWS_10("server") ("Server")windows9Server64Guest 
5.5+
   
120WINDOWSstarts with "9" or starts with "10"
("server") ("Server")
windows9Server64Guest 
5.5+ 
    
120WINDOWS_10_64
windows9_64Guest  
5.5+ 
   
120WINDOWS_10_64("server") ("Server")windows9Server64Guest 
5.5+ 
   
120WINDOWSstarts with "9" or starts with "10" ("64")windows9_64Guest 
5.5+ 
   
119WINDOWSstarts with "9"windows9 
5.5+ 
   

WINDOWS2019

windows2019srv_64Guest






7.0+
69

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003

("Web")

winNetWebGuest

5.0+     
69

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003

("Business")

winNetBusinessGuest

5.0+     
69

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003

("Enterprise")

winNetEnterpriseGuest

5.0+     
69

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003

("Datacenter")

winNetDatacenterGuest

5.0+     
69

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003

 

winNetStandardGuest

5.0+     
70

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003_64

("Enterprise")

winNetEnterprise64Guest

5.0+     
70

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003_64

("Datacenter")

winNetDatacenter64Guest

5.0+      
70

WINDOWS_SERVER_2003_64

 

winNetStandard64Guest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "3.1"

win31Guest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "95"

win95Guest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "98"

win98Guest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

("ME" OR "Millenium")

winMeGuest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "NT"

winNTGuest

5.0+     
58

WINDOWS

starts with "2000" ("Pro")

win2000ProGuest

5.0+     
58

WINDOWS

starts with "2000" ("Avd")

win2000AdvServGuest

5.0+     
58

WINDOWS

starts with "2000"

win2000ServGuest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "XP" ("Home")

winXPHomeGuest

5.0+     
71

WINDOWS

starts with "XP" ("64")

winXPPro64Guest

5.0+     
67

WINDOWS

starts with "XP"

winXPProGuest

5.0+     
74

WINDOWS

starts with "Longhorn" ("64")

winLonghorn64Guest

5.0+     
73

WINDOWS

starts with "Longhorn"

winLonghornGuest

5.0+     
74

WINDOWS

starts with "Vista" ("64")

winVista64Guest

5.0+     
73

WINDOWS

starts with "Vista"

winVistaGuest

5.0+     
104

ESXI

starts with "4"

vmkernelGuest

5.0+     
104

ESXI

starts with "5"

vmkernel5Guest

5.0+     
104

ESXI

starts with "6"

vmkernel6Guest


 6.0+   
104

ESXI

starts with "6.5"

vmkernel65Guest


  6.5+

104

ESXI

starts with "7"

vmkernel7Guest


  

7.0+
104

ESXI

starts with "6"

vmwarePhoton64Guest 


  6.5+

97

LINUX_2_4

 

other24xLinuxGuest

5.0+     
98

LINUX_2_4_64

 

other24xLinux64Guest

5.0+     
99

LINUX_2_6

 

other26xLinuxGuest

5.0+     
100

LINUX_2_6_64

 

other26xLinux64Guest

5.0+     
36

LINUX

 

otherLinuxGuest

5.0+     
36

LINUX

("Fedora")

fedoraGuest(warning)

5.0+     
36LINUX("generic")genericLinuxGuest
5.5+    
101

LINUX_64

 

otherLinux64Guest

5.0+     
101

LINUX_64

("Fedora")

fedora64Guest (warning)

5.0+     
101LINUX_64("3x")other3xLinuxGuest
5.5+    
101LINUX_64("4x")other4xLinux64Guest 

  6.7+
101LINUX("3x")other3xLinux
5.5+    
101LINUX("4x")other4xLinuxGuest

  6.7+
101LINUX("core") ("Core")coreos64Guest
 6.0+   
106

CENTOS

 

centosGuest

5.0+     
106

CENTOS

starts with "6"

centos6Guest


  6.5+

106

CENTOS

starts with "7"

centos7Guest


  6.5+

107

CENTOS_64

 

centos64Guest

5.0+     
107

CENTOS_64

starts with "6" 

centos6_64Guest


  6.5+

107

CENTOS_64

starts with "7"

centos7_64Guest


  6.5+

107

CENTOS_64

starts with "8"

centos8_64Guest


  
6.7+
108

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX

 

oracleLinuxGuest

5.0+     
108

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX

starts with "6"

oracleLinux6Guest


  6.5+

108

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX

starts with "7"

oracleLinux7Guest


  6.5+

109

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX_64

 

oracleLinux64Guest

5.0+     
109

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX_64

starts with "6" 

oracleLinux6_64Guest


  6.5+

109

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX_64

starts with "7"

oracleLinux7_64Guest


  6.5+

109

ORACLE_ENTERPRISE_LINUX_64

("8")

oracleLinux8_64Guest


  
6.7+
110

ECOMSTATION_32

starts with "1"

eComStationGuest

5.0+     
110

ECOMSTATION_32

 

eComStation2Guest

5.0+     
102

OTHER_64

 

otherGuest64

5.0+     
43, 65, 66, 1,
2147483647

NETBSD, OPENBSD, NOT_APPLICABLE,
OTHER, UNRECOGNIZED

 

otherGuest

5.0+