Q. How would you address user-specific data/config changes vs. code changes? In other words, if I am running Virtual Appliance XYZ v1.0 and then 1.1 comes out, how do I use this RSS feed without fear that my customizations will be over-written? You could get around this by storing data in a networked datastore or separate virtual disks (not the one containing the application) but I'm curious as to your thoughts on that.
A. The VMcasting specification is primarily focused on the delivery of virtual appliances. In the case of versioning, that would need to be handled by a vm management system such as vmware or our enomalism product. What we're trying to do with VMcasting is provide a uniform way to inform and deliver the virtual software appliances. For instance, one use case is a virtual appliance repository provided directly in an VM management system that allows users to browser a variety of appliances and download them directly to their systems.