NetWorker REST API Triage Guide

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Getting Started

Connecting to NetWorker:

• Content-Type: application/json
• Accept: application/json
• Authorization: Basic with Base 64 encoded username and password

In environments where the are multiple NetWorker datazones authenticating through a single NetWorker AUTHC server, an additional header is required:

• X-NW-AUTHC-BASE-URL:AUTHC_HOSTNAME_OR_IP:AUTHC_PORT

The NetWorker REST API is exposed in the following base URI:

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v1
https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v2
https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3

The full json schema is available at

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/schemas/swagger.json

REST API Functions

Some Examples:

GET

List all clients.                                            

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients

One client only, showing only three fields (hostname, saveSets, and protectionGroups)      

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients?fl=hostname,saveSets,protectionGroups&q=hostname:nwserver121

List the Protection Groups which one client is in.     

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients?fl=protectionGroups&q=hostname:nwserver121

Show current alerts.                                     

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/alerts

Show recent failed jobs.                               

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/jobs?q=completionStatus:"Failed"&fl=clientHostname,startTime,name,message

List the workflows in one policy (named WinFS in this example).                   

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/protectionpolicies/WinFS/workflows

List the properties of one saveset instance only (as defined by client hostname and save set).      

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients?q=hostname:vm-lego-231 and saveSets:"/etc"

POST:

Start a workflow action.                                 

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/protectionpolicies/Angela/workflows/WinFS/op/backup
                                                      JSON Body: 
                                                      {
                                                       }

Create a new client instance (with default values for all properties except the four listed).           

https://[nw-server-hostname]:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients  
                                                     JSON Body 
                                                     {    
            "hostname": "vm-lego-231",
            "backupType": "Filesystem",
            "saveSets": [ "/etc" ],
            "protectionGroups" : [ "LinuxFS" ]
                                                          

Required Information for Support

Environment:

• NetWorker server name
• NetWorker version and build number
• NetWorker server host operating system type and version

Linux:

hostname
strings /usr/sbin/nsrd | grep -i "(#)"
cat /etc/*release
uname -a

Windows:

nsrwatch

• Explain which REST API operation is being performed (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), the URI used, any JSON body contents (where applicable). 
• REST API response code and any error message provided.
• Has the initial connection and authorization succeeded between the REST API client and NetWorker?

• Rendered daemon.raw log file from the NetWorker server:
  • Linux: /nsr/logs/daemon.raw
  • Windows: C:\Program Files\EMC NetWorker\nsr\logs\daemon.raw
  • NetWorker: How to use nsr_render_log
• REST API logs from the NetWorker server:  /nsr/logs/restapi (linux) or EMC NetWorker\nsr\logs\restapi (Windows)
• For authentication issues, see the standard NetWorker authentication logging in /nsr/authc/logs (linux) or ..\EMC NetWorker\nsr\authc-server\tomcat\logs (Windows)

top -b | awk '/nsrtomc+/ {print strftime("%Y-%m-%d-%H:%M:%S", systime()), $0}'

This output shows standard top output but with human readable timestamps. This can be used to review CPU and memory consumption by the process and for how long it stayed in a certain state when a REST call was made. This can be compared against the restapi.log and AUTHC logs to see which calls were made and how frequently.
 

Windows: For windows servers you must install something like "Performance Monitor:

1. Open Performance Monitor as Administrator.
2. From the left pane, expand Monitoring Tools and select Performance Monitor.
3. Right-click inside the right pane and select Remove all Counters.
4. Right-click inside the right pane and select Add Counters.
5. Under Available Counters, expand Memory select % Commit Bytes and click Add.
6. Under Memory, select Available Bytes and click Add.
7. Under Available Counters expand Process and select % Processor Time and under Instances of Selected object select the first Java entry, click Add.
8. Under Available Counters expand Processor Information and select % Processor Utility, click Add.
9. The Added counters on the right pane should show:

10. Click Okay. Right-click Performance Monitor and click New->Data Collector Set.
11. Provide a name, e.g: RESTAPI_MON.
12. On the location screen click Next, unless you choose to specify an alternate output location.
13. Select Save and Close and click Finish.
14. In the left pane under Data Collector Sets->User Defined open the RESTAPI_MON properties and select Comma Separated for the log format, click Ok.

15. In the left pane under Data Collector Sets->User Defined select the RESTAPI_MON data collector set and click Start (Play button).
16. If the default output location was used, the .csv file appears under C:\PerfLogs\Admin\RESTAPI_MON.
17. Once the issue is observed and recorded in the output file, you can stop monitoring click by clicking Stop under Data Collector Sets-User Defined.

Further Resources

All supported REST API endpoints and usage examples are provided in: NetWorker REST API Reference Guide