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How to install Nipper OmniSight using alternative hypervisors

This article describes the steps to install Nipper OmniSight on alternative hypervisors to VMware.

Nipper OmniSight is distributed as an OVA (Open Virtual Appliance) image and is developed and tested on VMware platforms only.

While OVA images can be imported into other hypervisors, behavior is not consistent across platforms. Successful deployment on non-VMware hypervisors may require manual steps and is not supported by Titania.

Supported Platform

  • VMware (fully supported)

Unsupported Platforms (Best-Effort Use Only)

  • Proxmox VE
  • Oracle VM VirtualBox
  • KVM
  • Microsoft Hyper-V
  • Citrix Hypervisor (formerly XenServer)

Nipper OmniSight OVA images may be used on other hypervisors; however:

  • Import processes vary and may not be fully automated
  • VM configuration (CPU, memory, disk controller, network interfaces) must typically be recreated manually
  • Differences in disk formats, firmware (BIOS vs UEFI), and controller types may prevent successful boot

Titania does not provide support for deployment on these platforms.

Using OmniSight with Citrix Hypervisor

Citrix Hypervisor supports OVA/OVF import; however, compatibility with VMware-generated OVA images is inconsistent.

  • Some OVA images will import successfully using XenCenter or CLI tools
  • In many cases, import may fail or result in a non-bootable VM due to differences in OVF structure or disk handling
  • Manual intervention is often required

If direct import fails, the disk conversion approach described below is typically more reliable.

Using Nipper OmniSight with Hyper-V (Disk Conversion Required)

  • 7-Zip
  • QEMU
  • StarWind V2V Converter

Hyper-V does not support OVA or VMDK disk formats directly. To use Nipper OmniSight with Hyper-V, the disk must be converted.

 

Process Overview

  1. Extract the OVA file
    Use an archive tool (such as 7-Zip) to open the OVA file and extract its contents.
    This will include:
    1. A .vmdk disk file
    2. An .ovf descriptor file (VM configuration metadata)
  2. Convert the disk image
    Convert the extracted .vmdk file to a Hyper-V compatible format (.vhd or .vhdx) using a third-party tool such as:
    1. QEMU (qemu-img)
    2. StarWind V2V Converter
  3. Create a new virtual machine
    In Hyper-V, manually create a new VM and attach the converted disk.
    You will need to define:
    1. CPU and memory allocation
    2. Disk controller type
    3. Network configuration
    4. Firmware type (BIOS or UEFI, depending on compatibility)

 

Important Notes

  • The OVF file contains the original VM configuration but is not automatically applied when converting disks
  • Disk conversion tools may produce different results depending on source disk format
  • Additional troubleshooting may be required to achieve a successful boot

 

Support Statement

Titania provides installation and configuration support for VMware deployments only.

We do not provide support for:

  • Non-VMware hypervisors
  • Disk image conversion tools or processes
  • Issues arising from manual VM configuration on unsupported platforms