Error: "Failed Creation" and "Illegal character in path at index #" when importing an OVF into Cloud Director

Products

• VMware Cloud Director

Issue/Introduction

• Importing an OVF as a vApp using the Add vApp From OVF option in the Cloud Director Tenant portal.
• The imported vApp is in a Failed Creation state.
• The Imported Virtual Application task fails with an error of the form:

Illegal character in path at index #: file:///opt/vmware/vcloud-director/data/transfer/########-####-####-####-############/{file name}

• The OVF references files which include a space character in their name, for example:

<References>
  <File ovf:id="file1" ovf:href="example vm.vmdk"/>
</References>

• OVF was generated by exporting a VM from vCenter.

Environment

VMware Cloud Director 10.5.1.1

Cause

This issue occurs when there is a space character in one of the files being uploaded with the OVF, for example in the name of one of the VMDK files.

Resolution

This issue does not occur when importing the same OVF into VMware Cloud Director 10.6.0.1.

 

To workaround the issue in Cloud Director 10.5.1.1 remove the space characters from the file names and update the OVF descriptor with these new file names.
Example steps would be as follows:

 

1. Back up the OVF descriptor file and associated files before making changes.
2. Rename the OVF descriptor file and the associated files, such as VMDKs, to remove any space character. For example:
   
   Files to be uploaded:
   Example Vm.ovf
Example Vm.vmdk
   
   Updated file names:
   ExampleVm.ovf
ExampleVm.vmdk
3. Open the OVF descriptor file and update all references to the renamed files to match the new names without the space characters. For example:
   
   Existing references:
   <References>
  <File ovf:id="file1" ovf:href="Example Vm.vmdk"/>
</References>
   
   Updated references:
   <References>
  <File ovf:id="file1" ovf:href="ExampleVm.vmdk"/>
</References>
4. Reattempt importing the OVF as a vApp using the Add vApp From OVF option in the Cloud Director Tenant portal.