The N1 Service Provisioning System Software Interfaces

There are two interfaces to the N1 Service Provisioning System software :

• an HTML interface accessed through a Netscape^TM or Internet Explorer Web browser

• a Command-Line Interface (CLI) accessed through a shell, a Windows prompt, or a script

The HTML Interface

The HTML interface consists of a series of web pages that enable authenticated users to model components, develop and run plans, and perform other operations with the . The HTML interface is designed to be easy to use. It works with both Netscape and Microsoft Web browsers and uses a few basic navigation tools on every page.

All web pages in the HTML interface use the following conventions:

• The left-hand navigation menu appears on all pages (except pop-up windows). The left-hand navigation menu can be collapsed or expanded by clicking on the plus (+) or minus (-) signs.

• All major headings, when clicked, displays a collection of useful links associated with the major heading.

• Information is presented in tables.

• New objects, such as a plans or components, are created by entering information in the top row of a table.

• Clicking Edit takes you to a Web page with graphical controls for editing the content of an object, such as a component.

• Clicking Advanced Edit takes you to a Web page that enables you to edit the XML of a component or plan.

• Information about problems is presented in red.

• The location of the current page is always listed at the top of the page, and the symbol > is used to indicate one page being linked from another (for example, the location Components > Details > Variables Settings tells you that you are viewing the Variable Settings page, which is accessible from the Component > Details page, which in turn is accessible from the main Components page).

The HTML Interface Navigation

Between the many built-in components and the ones you create, the number of components, component types, and plans can become extremely large making it difficult to locate the one you want. To help in locating and using a specific object, easier, the N1 Service Provisioning System software allows you to organize components, component types, and plans in a hierarchical filing system.

The following text describes the Path area of the HTML user interface.

Path

Displays the name of the current working directory.

Show

Allows you to list either components or plans. If you select plans The HTML user interface displays the plans page as though you had click on the plans option in the left-hand navigation menu.

Category

Filters the lists objects by category.

To access objects (either components, component types, or plans) in a specific directory click on the “change path...” text. The provisioning software brings up the Change Path page.

Simply enter the desired path into the “selected path” text field or click on the desired icon to select a path.

The Command Line Interface (CLI)

The command-line interface (CLI) is a suite of tools for accessing the provisioning software through non-HTML interfaces, such as a Windows prompt, a shell, or a script. CLI commands can be used in scripts to automate operations, such as checking in files. They can also be used to access the Master Server from systems that lack a Web browser or an HTTP connection.

The CLI is a Command-Line Interface Client which can be installed on any computer that can make a network connection to the Master Server. The client parses the commands into native objects and sends them to the Master Server. Results of the commands are then translated by the client to a textual format and presented to users.

Most CLI commands require authentication. Users authenticate themselves by specifying a user name and a password or a session ID with each command. See Authentication by Username and Password or Session ID in N1 Service Provisioning System 4.1 Reference Guide for more information.

There are two tools for invoking the CLI:

• cr_cli, which operates in single-line command mode, executing one command at a time

• cr_clij, which operates in interactive command mode using a Jython interpreter

cr_cli: Single-Line Command Mode

The single-line command mode accepts one command at a time as input. Each command submitted must be complete; the user is not interactively prompted for the next input parameter. Operating in this mode, the Command-Line Interface Client does not maintain a command history.

Here is an example of a CLI command executed with the cr_cli tool. This command adds a host of type prodserver to the host database. The user running this command, rbarnes, supplies his password to authenticate himself to the Master Server.

cr_cli –cmd hdb.h.add -u barnes -p bar123 -name webb1  -desc `web server 1' –tID prodserver  

cr_cli commands can be stored in a file and be called from a shell script. This is useful for repetitive tasks such as running execution plans, comparisons or populating hosts.

cr_clij: Interactive Command Mode

The interactive command line mode uses the Jython interpreter as its shell. Operating in this mode, the CLI offers you these advantages:

• You do not have to type an entire command on a single line. You can simply enter a command name and then enter the command arguments that cr_clij prompts you for.

• You can take advantage of the command history stored by the shell.

• You can call a N1 Service Provisioning System software command from within a Jython script.

• You can create more powerful scripts for more complex, repetitive operations.

• For the purposes of automation, the interactive mode results are more detailed.

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  Note –

  To call commands from within a Jython script, include the following at the beginning of the script:

  from clui import * app=PyCLUI() make Jython calls to the N1 Service Provisioning System app.execStr(CLI command) invoke Jython methods from the new Jython object App.close() delete the instance of this Jython class

  ---

The Structure of CLI Commands

Whether invoked through cr_cli or cr_clij, all CLI commands use the following format:

subsystem.object.command arguments  

For example, the command for adding a host to the N1 Service Provisioning System software database is hdb.h.add. This command consists three elements that identify:

• a N1 Service Provisioning System software subsystem, in this case the host database (hdb)

• an object to operate on, in this case a host (h)

• a command or operation, in this case adding (add)

Table 1–4 lists the CLI prefix for each N1 Service Provisioning System software subsystem, along with the chapters in this guide that discuss the subsystem.

This user manual does not contain a complete list of CLI commands. Each section does list the more frequently used CLI commands that relate to the specific topic. For a complete list of CLI commands, please see N1 Service Provisioning System 4.1 Reference Guide.