ESXi 5.

1 : Fixing Failed to deploy OVF package: The task was canceled by

a user.
Frustrated by the inability to redeploy a template I spent so long preparing, I broke open the
OVA template and took a look inside. There were three files with different extensions,

.ova OVF descriptor, written in XML, which describes the hardware requirements

.mf contains SHA1 checksums of the .OVA and .VMDK

.vmdk the virtual hard disk for the virtual machine.

I immediately discarded the .mf. If you modify the .ova and dont update the .mf, itll
complain that the checksum is invalid. Removing this file seems to prevent vSphere from
checking the checksums, which is useful, seeing as we want to poke around the .ova. After
fiddling around inside the .ova, I stumbled across the following line
<rasd:ResourceSubType>vmware.cdrom.iso</rasd:ResourceSubType>
Changing the above line, to read
<rasd:ResourceSubType>vmware.cdrom.atapi</rasd:ResourceSubType>
appears to have fixed my deployment issues. Perhaps changing the CD Drive Device type
in the virtual machines settings wouldve fixed it. But by that point, I had already exported
the OVA and deleted the source virtual machine.

Error: Failed to deploy OVF package: The task was canceled by a user
http://www.sefic.name/error-failed-to-deploy-ovf-package-the-task-wascanceled-by-a-user/
This error occurs when you export virtual machine from your ESXi or vCenter server as OVA
or OVF template with ISO file mounted as CD/DVD drive. This settings are saved in the
configuration file inside the OVF package. Please note that once you unpack OVF file, delte
.mf file since it contains the SHA1 checksum of the OVA package and cannot be used again.
Now edit the .ova file, which is basically the XML file and look for the following line:
<rasd:ResourceSubType>vmware.cdrom.iso</rasd:ResourceSubType>
Now replace the word iso with atapi so the line reads
<rasd:ResourceSubType>vmware.cdrom.atapi</rasd:ResourceSubType
>