SteelConnect REST API
This topic describes the SteelConnect REST API that you can use to automate repetitive tasks, such as creating and deleting nodes, and much more. It includes these sections:
REST API Overview
Accessing the API
Authenticating API requests
Viewing documentation for an object
Supported appliance types
REST API Overview
SteelConnect features a powerful REST API for northbound traffic. You can use the API to access many features that are also available through the SteelConnect Manager (SCM) graphical user interface (GUI). Using the SteelConnect REST API, you can create client applications that interact with your SCM to:
retrieve detailed information about every organization.
pull information from SteelCentral.
assign hardware serial numbers in bulk to different sites.
expose and directly manage items like organizations, zones, sites, users, and switches.
create and delete access points, SSIDs, data center uplinks, and clusters.
view and delete inbound rules, outbound rules, traffic rules, and more.
The REST API must be enabled for an SCM realm by a realm administrator. For details, see Enabling REST API. Administrators that manage an organization within a realm also have access to their organization through the REST API.
The SteelConnect REST API adheres to common REST API principles and supports all request verbs (GET, PUT, POST, DELETE, and so on). All data transferred between the API and client applications is formatted in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON); no data is passed in headers or in the URI. Data encoded in a format other than JSON (binary files, for example) are contained and specified within the JSON data.
Object IDs persist through the lifetime of the object even when services, devices, or connections are reset or restarted. Functions are unchanged and always yield the same result regardless of the number of identical requests. The URI handles the versioning, where the version number precedes the resource in the URI (for example, /v1/<resource>). You can reference a specific instance of an object by its object ID by inserting the ID in the URI (for example, /<resource>/:<id>/).
HTTP status codes indicate request status and system messages are not enveloped. While most resources don’t automatically generate auxiliary resources, some resources do. For example, an organization object requires a default site. So when an organization is created, the system automatically generates a default site named HQ under it. As a rule, any automatically generated resource does not interfere with your use of the API.
The Node datatype encompasses all types of appliances (switches, access points, gateways, and so on) because appliances share many commonalities. So for any given instance of a node object there can be unnecessary fields. Client applications can ignore these unnecessary fields; in fact, the system ignores (or, in some cases, resets) them.
Accessing the API
The SteelConnect API is built right in the SteelConnect product and is accessed over HTTPS. Here is the base URI:
https://<steelconnect-manager-hostname>/api/<api>/<version>/
All resources available through the API are below this URI. Here are some example resource URIs:
https://example.riverbed.com/api/scm.config/1.0/orgs
https://example.riverbed.com/api/scm.config/1.0/org/org-example-2eac682ed323184d/switch
You can also access the SteelConnect API through the Riverbed support site:
https://support.riverbed.com/apis/index.html
Authenticating API requests
All API requests are authenticated using BASIC authentication. Admin users authenticated against the API have the same rights as if they were using the GUI. You can use a command like cURL to issue simple requests. Here are a few examples:
curl -k -X GET https://example.riverbed.com:4059/api/scm.config/1.0/orgs
curl -k -X GET https://example.riverbed.com:4059/api/scm.config/1.0/org/org-example-2eac682ed323184d/switch
Viewing documentation for an object
The SteelConnect REST API is hierarchical. You can query the first tier, and then after selecting an organization, you filter into second-tier objects for that particular organization.
To view documentation for an object
1. Select the first tier object: for example, accesspoint.
2. Select a method: for example, POST.
The object parameters, model schema, and responses for that particular operation appear.
Operation documentation
 
Supported appliance types
This table lists the appliances supported by SteelConnect.
Appliance type
Image name
Description
Virtual GW
SDI-VGW
 
Virtual GW
SDI-AWS
 
Virtual GW
SDI-SH
 
Gateway
SDI-130
 
Gateway
SDI-330
 
Gateway
SDI-1030
 
Gateway
SDI-5030
 
Switch
SDI-S12
12-port switch
Switch
SDI-S24
24-port switch
Switch
SDI-S48
48-port switch
SteelHead
CX-570
 
SteelHead
CX-770
 
SteelHead
CX-3070
 
Access point
SDI-AP3
 
Access point
SDI-AP5
 
Access point
SDI-AP5r
 
Access point
XR-320
 
Access point
X2-120
 
Access point
XR-520, XR520H
 
Access point
XR-620
 
Access point
XR-630
 
Access point
XR-1xxx
XR-1000 Series
Access point
XR-2xxx
XR-2000 Series
Access point
XR-4xxx
XR-4000 Series
Access point
XR-6xxx
XR-6000 Series
Access point
XR-7xxx
XR-7000 Series
Access point
XD4-130
 
Access point
XH2-120
 
Access point
XD2-230
 
Access point
XD2-240
 
Access point
XD4-240
 
Access point
XA4-240