Consoli Solutions, LLC jack@consoli-solutions.com
Software Developers Kit (SDK)
Sample scripts to create, delete, and modify switch, port, and zone using the Brocade FOS REST API drivers in brcdapi
Updates 6 March 2024
- Miscellaneous bug fixes
- Improved error messaging
- Updated comments
Updated 01 Jan 2023
- Added ability to delete all or a range of switches in switch_delete.py
- Added enable/disable options and reserve/release PODs to port_config.py
Updated 31 Dec 2021
- Several comments and user messaging improved
- Replaced all bare exception clauses with explicit exceptions
Updated 28 Apr 2022
- Added support for new URIs in FOS 9.1
- Moved some generic libraries from brcddb to brcdapi
- Added examples to capture and update security certificates, certs_get and certs_eval
api_examples
Contains Python script examples on how to use the FOS Rest API with the brcdapi FOS Rest API drivers.
shebang Line & Encoding
Typically, the first line should be:
#!/usr/bin/env python
Unfortunately, the above shebang line does not always work in Windows environments so all of the sample scripts from github/jconsoli use:
#!/usr/bin/python
The reasoning for doing so was that Unix/Linux users are typically more technically astute and can make the change themselves. There are means to get the standard Linux shebang line to work in Windows but that discussion is outside the scope of this document.
Note that #!/usr/bin/env python is preferred because it ensures your script is running inside a virtual environment while #!/usr/bin/python runs outside the virtual environment
Most Windows and Linux environments do not need the encoding line but some, such as z/OS version of Linux do need it. All of the aforementioned sample scripts have the following:
-- coding: utf-8 -- To net it out, the first two lines should be:
Windows:
#!/usr/bin/python
-- coding: utf-8 -- Linux & z/OS:
#!/usr/bin/env python
-- coding: utf-8 -- api_examples
There are two libraries, brcdapi and brddb. The modules in the api_examples folder use the brcdapi library but not the brcddb library. The brcdapi library is a driver. The brcddb library is a hierarchical database. For example, clearing port statistics is a simple matter of reading all the ports in a switch, clearing the statistics counter, and writing it back to the switch so only the brcdapi library is required. Performing a zone analysis requires the ability to relate data from multiple requests so zone analysis is part of the report module found in the applications folder.
The modules in the api_examples folder were originally intended as programming examples only but since many automated actions don’t require sophisticated programming, a user interface was added to most of the modules. Since they were intended as programming examples, a verbose coding style was used with more than usual comments.
Common Options For All Modules
Help
-h Prints a brief description of what the module does and a list of module options.
Debug
-d Prints all data structures, pprint, sent to and received from the switch API interface to the console and log.
Logging
Rather than use print statements, all of the modules in api_examples use the logging utility in brcdapi.log. The log utility has a feature that optionally echoes, print, to the console. Creating a log file is optional as well. All modules have the following options:
-log Use to specify the folder where the log file is to be placed.
-nl Use this to disable logging (do not create a log file).
-sup This option is available in the applications modules and some of the api_examples. When set, print to console is disabled. This is useful for batch processing.
For programmers
Each module has a _DEBUG variable. When set True, instead of obtaining module input from the command line, input is taken from _DEBUG_xxx variables where “xxx” is the option. This allows you to execute modules from a development environment such as PyCharm.
Brocade api examples Module Specific
api_get_examples
Although this does have a user interface, it is primarily intended as examples for programmers. Edit this file and search for chassis_rest_data and fid_rest_data to change the requests. When used stand alone, it is typically used with the –d option.
py api_get_examples.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128 -d
login_test
Performs a simple login and logout. Typically used to validate the ability to login and out via a RESTConf API connection. Also used as a programmers example on how to login and out.
py login_test.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self
maps_clear
Clears the MAPS dashboard.
py maps_clear.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128
port_config
Intended as a programmer’s example on how to configure port attributes. Editing the module is required to modify port configuration settings.
py port_config.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128
port_enable_all
Enables all ports in a logical switch.
py port_enable_all.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128
set_port_default_all
Sets all ports in a logical switch to the default configuration.
py set_port_default_all.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128
stats_clear
Clear statistics for all ports in a logical switch.
py stats_clear.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 128
stats_to_db
Although there is a user interface, stats_to_db is intended as a programmer’s example for customers who will not be using the Kafka streaming services of SANnav to capture statistics and add them to their own database. The database add method, _db_add(), just prints a message to the log. This is where you would add your own hook to a database.
Use applications/stats_to_db_app to for the same purpose but to capture statistics from multiple switches. Use applications/stats_c and applications/stats_g to capture and graph port statistics to an Excel Woorkbook.
switch_create
Can be used as a stand-alone module to create logical switches. Use applications/switch_config to create switches defined in an Excel Workbook.
To many options to list them all in an example. Use the –h option.
py switch_create.py –h
switch_delete
Deletes a logical switch. Configures all ports in the specified logical switch to the default configuration, moves those ports to the default logical switch, and deletes the specified logical switch.
py switch_delete.py –ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx –id admin –pw password –s self –fid 10
zone_config
No user interface. This is a programmer’s example only to illustrate how to add, delete, or modify aliases, zones, and zone configurations.