4. Organization Catalogs : 4.1 Understanding Catalogs : 4.1.2 vApp
   
4.1.2 vApp
In the LAMP stack example that follows, three virtual machines running a Linux guest operating system are deployed into a vSphere environment. The most efficient approach is to build and configure a single virtual machine, clone it to a template, and re-deploy the same virtual machine as many times as necessary to support application requirements. It might be necessary to customize the virtual machine’s hardware configuration, depending on the application.
In vCloud Director, the smallest construct is a vApp. The vApp can contain one or more virtual machines.
To create a LAMP stack
1. Create a vApp.
2. Within the vApp, create a virtual machine with a specific guest operating system.
3. After installing the guest operating system, shut down the vApp and capture it to a catalog.
4. After capturing the vApp, create the LAMP stack by creating a new vApp.
5. Add the captured virtual machine repeatedly, as needed.
6. Install and configure the application as needed.
7. Shut down the vApp.
8. Capture the vApp again to the catalog.
9. Other users can now deploy the vApp from the catalog.
The foundation for a good catalog is a collection of commonly used configurations of virtual machines, operating systems, and applications that can be deployed as single vApps or used to build vApps that contain multiple virtual machines.