OVA Repository

what is an ova file?

Virtual appliances, or OVA files, are used by virtualization programs like VMware Workstation and Oracle VM VirtualBox. It is a collection of files that serve to describe virtual machines, including an. OVF descriptor file, optional certificate (. Cert) and manifest (. MF) files, as well as other relevant files.

what are virtual machines?

A virtual machine is a computer within a computer. It runs a Guest Operating System on a Type 2 Hypervisor that is installed on a physical machine or Host Computer which is running a Host Operating System. It functions as a separate computer from the machine that it is on. All its hardware is emulated through the Type 2 Hypervisor and then to the Host Machine’s physical hardware. For example, multiple Virtual Machines can use that same Network Interface Card and only the Hypervisor is aware that it is shared. This allows for whole computers, configured for use with specific courses in mind can be downloaded and run with minimal setup.

Current Semester Virtual Machines