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Work ends on Open Virtualisation Format
Plans for version 3.0 canned as Distributed Management Task Force says the job's done
Work has ended on the Open Virtualisation Format (OVF), the Distributed Management Task Force's (DMTF's) packaging format for virtual machines.
Version 2.0 of the standard landed in early 2013 and back in June 2016 The Register's virtualisation desk spotted plans to develop version 3.0 with a target delivery date of late 2016.
Now the DMTF has decided the update isn't necessary because, according to its media handlers, the Task Force “considers OVF as a mature standard and no new version is currently expected.”
When we asked why, we were told “It's just the natural lifecycle and DMTF considers the standard complete.”
The world was not exactly waiting with bated breath for a new version of OVF. Virtual machine formats are already mostly interchangeable, because the main formats are well-understood and converting the metadata of one format to another format is not a brain-bending task.
While it's always nice to have a standard one can refer to, this one is unloved: we hardly ever hear of it being used. OVF also lacks the tools that would make it useful, which is probably why a vendor like Zerto thrives with its virtual replication technology.
The current version of OVF remains viable, if you really feel the need to use it. ®
Biting the hand that feeds IT
