List and Show Assets

Objective

Use Postman for quick and simple listing of various cloud assets.  Specify response in either JSON (default) or XML format.

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

The following are prerequisites for completing this tutorial:

• Google Chrome with Postman plugin
• RightScale user account
• Authenticated previously with the RightScale API

Overview

Using Postman to list (HTTP GET) cloud assets is simple and quick.  No need to spin up servers, write a bash, Ruby or PowerShell script, etc.  Basically, all you need to do is:

• Start Postman
• Authenticate with the RS API
• Lookup the Resource you want to list in the RS API online reference documentation
• Construct the URL request
• Send the request

Steps

Having previously authenticated and set the X_API_VERSION HTTP header, modify the request URL and click the Send button.

Notes: 

• https://my.rightscale.com/api is common to all requests.  Consider it a prefix for all API request URLs.
• JSON is the default response format.  Add a ".xml" suffix to the URL for XML format.
• List asset - The "Index" for a given resource in the online reference documentation. For example, List Security Groups.
• Show asset - Shows just the specified asset.  For example, show just Security Group "4567"
• List (index) and Show are always HTTP GET methods.

A basic pattern should be emerging as you learn how to fish for information from the RightScale API.

• Lookup URL format in the online reference documentation
• List information for a given resource
  • Note: Cloud resource info (Cloud > CloudName > CloudResource) must be obtained from the API, it cannot be teased out of the URL in the Dashboard.
• Show information for a specific resource (usually obtained from the API, but sometimes from the Dashboard itself)

As an example... suppose you want to show information about a specific Security Group, not any of the resources from the table above.  You could:

• Consult the online reference documentation for Security Groups.
• List (index) the information using the following request URL with Postman:
  • web.link(https://my.rightscale.com/api/clouds...ecurity_groups
  • Note the Security Group ID of interest.  It will be used in the next request.
• Show Security Group information
  • web.link(https://my.rightscale.com/api/clouds.../DTE14QTCF4QBO
  • Where 2175 is the Cloud ID for GCE and DTE14QTCF4QBO is a Security Group ID.

Online reference information including a sample JSON response for Show Security Groups.

Sample Postman Configuration

Sample response (JSON)

{
    "links": [
        {
            "rel": "self",
            "href": "/api/clouds/2175/security_groups/DTE14QTCF4QBO"
        },
        {
            "rel": "cloud",
            "href": "/api/clouds/2175"
        },
        {
            "rel": "security_group_rules",
            "href": "/api/clouds/2175/security_groups/DTE14QTCF4QBO/security_group_rules"
        }
    ],
    "description": "",
    "actions": [],
    "name": "ap-sg-1",
    "resource_uid": "sg-1c76421a7"
}

Sample response (XML)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<security_group>
    <links>
        <link rel="self" href="/api/clouds/2175/security_groups/DTE14QTCF4QBO"/>
        <link rel="cloud" href="/api/clouds/2175"/>
        <link rel="security_group_rules" href="/api/clouds/2175/security_groups/DTE14QTCF4QBO/security_group_rules"/>
    </links>
    <description></description>
    <actions></actions>
    <name>ap-sg-1</name>
    <resource_uid>sg-1c76421a7</resource_uid>
</security_group>

Post Tutorial Steps

Use Postman for other list, show or other RightScale API operations you need to accomplish.

See also