Making API requests

The BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management API is a RESTful web service that operates on standard HTTP messages as defined in Hypertext Transfer Protocol RFC 2616. You invoke an API by sending an HTTP request message from your client application to the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management API server. The API server returns an HTTP response message that contains the result of your request. The following figure illustrates this message exchange.

Communication with the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management API is accomplished by using the HTTP protocol to send HTTP request messages and receive HTTP response messages. You can interact with the BMC Cloud Lifecycle Management API by using any of these methods:

• Write a script or program that runs from a command line.
• Write a program that runs as a stand-alone application or in a web browser.
• Send requests from a third-party REST client, such as the RESTClient Firefox browser add-on or WizTools RESTClient.

Accessing the API from scripts and application programs entails sending and receiving HTTP messages by using the interface defined by a language-specific HTTP client library. Third-party REST clients enable you to enter HTTP requests from a graphical user interface or a command line.

The appropriate method depends on the complexity of your task. For a quick look into the cloud, such as getting a list of pods, you might use a REST client. For more complicated tasks, or tasks that you perform regularly, you might want to write a script or an application program.

Languages that you can use

Because web services are language independent, you can develop your software using any programming or scripting language that supports sending and receiving standard HTTP messages, including:

• Java
• C#
• Perl
• PHP
• Python
• Ruby