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Swordfish-API-Emulator

The Swordfish API Emulator can emulate a Swordfish-based system that responds to create, read, update, and delete RESTful API operations to allow developers to model new Swordfish functionality, test clients, demonstrate Swordfish, and do other similar functions.

The Swordfish API Emulator extends the DMTF Redfish Interface Emulator by adding code to an installation of the Redfish Interface Emulator code.

The Swordfish API Emulator code is maintained on GitHub by the SNIA, and the Redfish Interface Emulator code is maintained on GitHub by the DMTF.

Prerequisites for the emulator

The Redfish Interface Emulator and the Swordfish API Emulator both require Python 3.5 or higher. If this is not already installed, go to www.python.org to download and install an appropriate version of Python.

It is recommended (but not required) to run the emulator using virtualenv, because it helps keep the emulator environment separate from other Python environments running on the same system.

Installing the Swordfish API Emulator on Windows

The Redfish Interface Emulator must be installed first, and then the Swordfish API Emulator must be installed on top of the Redfish Interface Emulator installation. This can be done on Windows using the sequence of steps given below. The steps for installing the emulator on Linux are similar.

These installation steps assume the following:

The prerequisites for the emulator have been installed.
The emulator is being installed in a folder named Swordfish. (This is only an example for the installation steps given below; the folder can have an arbitrary name and be located anywhere.)
The GitHub code for the Redfish Interface Emulator is in a folder named Redfish-Interface-Emulator.
The GitHub code for the Swordfish API Emulator is in a folder named Swordfish-API-Emulator.

Installation steps:

(1) Create a folder for the emulator.

This folder is where the Redfish Interface Emulator files will be combined with the Swordfish API Emulator files to install the Swordfish emulator. As an example in these instructions, this folder is named Swordfish.

(2) Copy the Redfish Interface Emulator files into the emulator folder.

Using the file explorer, go to the Redfish-Interface-Emulator folder, select and copy all the files using Control-A and Control-C, then go to the Swordfish folder and paste all the files into it using Control-V.

(3) Install the Python packages required by the emulator.

In a command prompt window, install the Python packages required by the emulator by entering the following commands:

pip install flask flask_restful flask_httpauth
pip install requests aniso8601 markupsafe pytz
pip install itsdangerous StringGenerator urllib3

Note that these commands can be copied from this document and pasted directly into the command window.

The Redfish Interface Emulator and its dependencies should now be installed in its default configuration in the Swordfish folder.

(4) Copy the Swordfish API Emulator files into the emulator folder, and allow some of the Redfish Interface Emulator files to be overwritten.

Using the file explorer, go to the Swordfish-API-Emulator folder, select and copy all the files using Control-A and Control-C, then go to the Swordfish folder and paste all the files into it using Control-V.

Windows will indicate that some files in the destination have the same names. Select the Windows “Replace the files in the destination” option.

The Swordfish API Emulator and its dependencies should now be installed in its default configuration in the Swordfish folder.

(5) If desired, a simple test of the Swordish API Emulator installation can now be done by running the emulator and accessing the Redfish service root using a browser.

To run the emulator, open a command window, use cd commands to change to the Swordfish folder, and enter this command:

python emulator.py

Use a browser to access http://localhost:5000/redfish/v1/ on the system where the emulator has been installed. If the emulator is working properly, the Redfish service root should be displayed on the browser, with two additional Swordfish resources added: StorageServices, and StorageSystems.

After this simple installation test, stop the emulator by closing the command prompt window.

The Swordfish API Emulator should now be ready to use in its default configuration.

Running the emulator after it is installed

To run the emulator, open a command window, use cd commands to change to the Swordfish directory, and enter this command:

python emulator.py

To stop the emulator without closing the command prompt window, enter Control-C in the command prompt window. Note that the emulator might not appear to stop until another emulator API access is attempted. A web browser can be used to access the Redfish service root to force this to happen, if no other REST client is readily available.

The emulator can also be stopped by closing the command window.

Notes about the Swordfish API Emulator

The Redfish Interface Emulator README.md file should be reviewed before working with the Swordfish API Emulator or changing the default configuration.
The configuration of the overall emulator is controlled by the emulator-config.json file in the directory where the emulator is installed. (This is the Swordfish folder in the installation steps above.) Instructions for using this file can be found in the Redfish Interface Emulator README.md file.
The Swordfish API Emulator code files generally do not overlap the Redfish Interface Emulator code files, but there are currently two files that must contain code for both the Redfish Interface Emulator and the Swordfish API Emulator:
- api_emulator\resource_manager.py
- api_emulator\utils.py
The api_emulator\resource_manager.py file establishes which emulator resources are static and which emulator resources are dynamic. Create/Read/Update/Delete (CRUD) operations can be done on dynamic resources via the emulator API using REST operations, but static resources are read-only and cannot be changed via the emulator API.
The Swordfish resources in the emulator are dynamic, and most of the Redfish resources are also dynamic, but four Redfish resources are currently still static in the default configuration of the Redfish Interface Emulator:
- TaskService
- SessionService
- AccountService
- Registries
The static resources in the emulator are populated by placing appropriate JSON mockup folders into the api_emulator\redfish\static directory. Instructions for this can be found in the Redfish Interface Emulator README.md file. Note that the dynamic resources in the emulator are NOT populated or initialized by the mockups in this directory.
The dynamic resources in the emulator can be populated via the emulator API using Create/Read/Update/Delete (CRUD) operations.
The current default configuration of the Redfish Interface Emulator pre-populates several of the Redfish dynamic resources. Instructions for starting the emulator without any pre-populated dynamic resources can be found in the Redfish Interface Emulator README.md file.
Sometimes a Control-C in the command prompt window does not appear to immediately stop the emulator. When this occurs, the emulator will stop as soon as another emulator API access is attempted. A web browser can be used to access the Redfish service root to force this to happen, if no other REST client is readily available.

xahmad/Swordfish-API-Emulator