Installation file formats .ova vs. .iso considerations for Messaging Gateway

Products

• Messaging Gateway

Issue/Introduction

Symantec Messaging Gateway (SMG) provides multiple distribution formats for virtual and physical deployments. While both .ova and .iso files are available for download, their support status and recommended use cases differ, particularly for production environments and version-specific upgrades.

Resolution

Distribution Formats

• DVD ISO Image (Symantec_Messaging_Gateway-10.x.x-Linux.iso): Used for hardware appliances, VMware, and Hyper-V. This is the primary format for clean installations and OS restores (osrestore).
• VMware OVA Install (Symantec_Messaging_Gateway-10.x.x-VE.ova): A pre-configured virtual appliance for quick deployment in VMware environments.

Support Policy and Recommendations

1. Production Environments: ISO Preferred For all production deployments, Broadcom recommends performing a clean installation using the .iso image rather than the .ova.

• Partitioning: Installing via ISO ensures that disk partitions are sized correctly according to current OS requirements. This is critical for recent versions (10.9.x), where older partition schemes (common in older OVA templates) may lead to boot drive failures or insufficient space during upgrades.
• Consistency: Using the ISO ensures the appliance is built using the native installer logic, which is the most thoroughly tested path for production stability.

2. Upgrades and Version Hops When performing multi-version upgrades (e.g., 10.8.1 to 10.9.2), the .ova file is generally not supported as a shortcut.

• Database Compatibility: Backups from older versions (like 10.8.1) cannot be directly restored to a newer version's OVA (like 10.9.2) due to database schema changes.
• The Recommended Path: Deploy a new instance using the ISO of the version matching your backup (e.g., 10.8.1), restore the configuration, and then perform the sequential upgrade path (10.8.1 → 10.9.0 → 10.9.1 → 10.9.2) via the command line interface (CLI).

3. OVA Use Case The .ova format is intended primarily for Proof of Concept (POC) or lab environments where rapid deployment is prioritized over long-term upgradeability and partition customization.

Summary Table

 

 

Feature	ISO Image (.iso)	OVA Template (.ova)
Primary Use	Production, Hardware, OS Restore	Lab, POC, Rapid Testing
Upgrade Support	Full Support (Native Installer)	Limited (May have partition constraints)
Backup Restore	Supported (Match version first)	Not supported across major schemas
Recommended?	Yes (Production Standard)	No (For production environments)