REST APIs Part 2: Making REST API

Calls with Postman

Hank Preston, ccie 38336

Network Programmability Basics/Programming Fundamentals/REST APIs Part 2: Making REST API Calls with Postman
Network Programmability Basics Modules
• Introduction: How to be a Network Engineer in a Programmable Age
• Programming Fundamentals
• Network Device APIs
• Network Controllers
• Application Hosting and the Network
• NetDevOps

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Network Programmability Basics: The Lessons
Module: Programming Fundamentals
• Data Formats: Understanding and using JSON, XML and YAML
• APIs are Everywhere... but what are they?
• REST APIs Part 1: HTTP is for more than Web Browsing
• REST APIs Part 2: Making REST API Calls with Postman
• Python Part 1: Python Language and Script Basics
• Python Part 2: Working with Libraries and Virtual Environments
• Python Part 3: Useful Python Libraries for Network Engineers
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Code and Develop Along
• Get the Code!
• github.com/CiscoDevNet/netprog_basics
• Setup Lab Prerequisites
• Each lab includes a README with details
• Access to Infrastructure
• DevNet Sandbox
• Specifics in lab README

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Topics to Cover
• Why Postman and How to
Get it?
• Sending an API Request
• API Collections
• Using Environments
• Postman to Code!

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Why Postman and How to
Get it?

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Postman: Powerful but Simple REST API Client
• Quickly test APIs in GUI
• Save APIs into Collections for
reuse
• Manage multiple environments
• Auto generate code from API
calls https://www.getpostman.com

• Standalone Application or
Chrome Plugin

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Sending an API Request

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 URI

Set Method Send Request

Manage request
authorization,
headers, and Easily input Headers
data (body) with auto-completion

Response Status Code

Response Body

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Constructing a POST Request
• Choose method
• Enter URI
• Configure headers and
authentication
• Provide data
• Send and verify status

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API Collections

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Save and Organize API Calls into Collections

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Using Environments

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Variables Make Requests Reusable and Flexible
• Never good to hardcode details
• What if you want to connect to
different host?
• What if credentials change?

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Variables Make Requests Reusable and Flexible
• Variables References
• {{apic}}
• {{username}}

• {{password}}

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Managing Environments
• Create any number of
environments needed
• Change between environments
with drop down list

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Managing Environments
• Add as many variables as
needed
• Reference anywhere with
{{variable name}} syntax

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Setting Environment Variables Dynamically
Login Response
• What about when info from one
request is needed in another?
• Manually copying/pasting slow
and error prone
• Manually updating environment Device List Request
variables is slow and awkward

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“Tests” Enable Dynamic Environment Variables
• Each API Request offers both
pre and post actions
• Pre -> Pre-request Script
• Post -> Tests

• Written in JavaScript

Response Body

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Demo Time!

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Postman to Code!

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You’ll eventually want to write some code…
• Postman great for testing and
validating APIs
• But it’s about atomic actions
• Business Logic, stringing APIs
together, etc all need code
• Jumpstart with auto-generated
code by Postman

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
You’ll eventually want to write some code…
• Many, many options for
languages available

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Full API Request to Code!
• Headers, payload data, and URI
all included
• Environment variables are
translated
• Great starting point, but expect
to edit and update

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Summing up

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Review
• Understand what Postman offers for API developers
• Learned how to send basic API requests
• Save API requests into Collections to re-use later
• Make APIs more modular and powerful with Environments
• Auto-generate code in many languages from an API call

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Call to Action!
• Complete the full Network
Programmability Basics Course
• Run the examples and
exercises yourself!
• Bonus Examples!
• Join DevNet for so much more!
• Learning Labs
• Development Sandboxes

• Code Samples and API Guides

© 2017 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Cisco Confidential
Got more questions? Come find me!
hapresto@cisco.com
@hfpreston
http://github.com/hpreston

@CiscoDevNet
facebook.com/ciscodevnet/
http://github.com/CiscoDevNet

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