How APIs and CLI Work

Describes how this API and CLI manage resources.

For this release, cloud infrastructure APIs and CLI support the management of the resources in vDC accounts based on the following virtualization technologies:

  • Oracle Solaris Zones

  • Oracle VM Server for x86

Figure 1-1 illustrates the execution flow and components that support the cloud infrastructure APIs and CLI.

Figure 1-1 Cloud Infrastructure APIs and CLI Execution Flow

Description of Figure 1-1 follows
Description of "Figure 1-1 Cloud Infrastructure APIs and CLI Execution Flow"
  • The cloud infrastructure CLI is delivered as a standalone package and can be used without an Oracle Enterprise Manager Ops Center installation in the computer where CLI is deployed. This element offers the same functionality as the cloud infrastructure API and Java client API.

  • The cloud infrastructure Java client API provides for the cloud infrastructure CLI a common set of functionality for executing actions through the cloud infrastructure API. The Java client API is delivered as a standalone package.

  • The cloud infrastructure API is a Web service that exposes a subset of the functionality of the vDC management system. A cloud infrastructure API request triggers an action by calling the corresponding action of the vDC management system.

The functionality exposed by the Web service can then be accessed programmatically using the Java Client API, the CLI, or by making calls directly to the Web service.

The cloud infrastructure API provides a synchronous call semantic for all modify or create actions. The call returns at least the identifiers of the changed or created resources.

The creation of the resource IDs and the mapping to jobs is handled by the vDC management system. The cloud infrastructure API must wait actively for notifications from the Job Manager to get the IDs of the changed or created resources. Jobs are specially tailored to deliver fast results; the cloud infrastructure API waits only until the necessary results are available.

The cloud infrastructure API returns a valid identifier even when resource creation fails. A cloud user must be able to view resource information, such as name, description, and status using the identifier returned. For more information, see "Status of a Cloud Resource".