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Does Hyper-V provide a mechanism (like ESX/vSphere) to identify digitally signed VHD files? Is it even possible to sign a VHD file?

Background: I am trying to provide a virtual appliance to my prospective customers, which they could just import in their hypervisor setup - be it ESX/vCenter, XenServer or Hyper-V. Towards that end, I export the VM in an OVF package and then sign it. Now, these signatures are verified and reported by vSphere/ESX, when anybody imports the OVF file on ESX. But Hyper-V doesn't support importing an OVF package. So, I have to convert the disk (.vmdk) into .vhd, which can be attached with a VM in Hyper-V. My goal is to ensure that VHD is not tampered with, after I publish it and before anyone imports it in his/her setup.

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  • What are you exactly trying to do?
    – MichelZ
    May 8, 2014 at 10:38
  • MichelZ! I am trying to provide a virtual appliance to my prospective customers, which they could just import in their hypervisor setup - be it ESX/vCenter, Citrix XenServer or MS Hyper-V?
    – grv
    May 8, 2014 at 11:54
  • It'd be easier to provide a checksum whenever you release the file to your customers rather than relying on digital signatures.
    – Nathan C
    May 8, 2014 at 12:06
  • Thanks, Nathan for your input. It'll probably be my second choice.
    – grv
    May 8, 2014 at 12:44
  • Updated the question to add more background info.
    – grv
    May 8, 2014 at 12:54

2 Answers 2

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How do you think that would work? The signature would be invalid the moment the appliance changes anything in the file.

No, it is not supported.

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  • TomTom! I only need to ensure that VHD is not tampered with, after I publish it and before anyone imports it in his/her setup. Changes after it has been imported and is under-use is not something, I am worried about. Same is true of digital signatures with OVF file.
    – grv
    May 8, 2014 at 11:50
  • No support. Hyper-V has too much an enterprise side "focus" - not a "distribute appliances".
    – TomTom
    May 8, 2014 at 12:28
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If you want to make sure the image has not been tampared with, just publish an MD5/SHA checksum, as many others do with such types of downloads.

There is nothing built-in to hyper-v

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