NetWorker: How to Make Command-Line REST API JSON Response Human Readable

Summary: Command-line REST Application Programming Interface (API) responses are in unformatted JSON, which can be difficult to parse. This KB provides methods to format the REST API response into "human readable" output. ...

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Instructions

NetWorker Representational State Transfer (REST) API calls can be performed from command line on a Linux NetWorker server using the curl command. For example:

curl -k -u USERNAME:'PASSWORD' https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/RESTAPI-ENDPOINT
NOTE: Replace USERNAME with the user account used to authenticate with NetWorker. Replace PASSWORD with the password for the user account provided. Replace RESTAPI-ENDPOINT with the REST API function performed. REST API documentation is available through: https://developer.dell.com/apis/2378/versions/v3/docs/GettingStarted.md.


The response payload on a GET operation is in JSON. The default response can be difficult to parse since it is typically once continuous line. For example:

nve:~ # curl -k -u Administrator:'!Password1' https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global
{"links":[{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/alerts","title":"List of alert messages"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfig","title":"Audit log configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfigs","title":"Audit log configurations"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/backups","title":"List of backups"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients","title":"List of clients"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/cloudboostappliances","title":"List of cloudboost appliances"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/datadomainsystems","title":"List of data domain systems"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/dddevicereplication","title":"DD device replication"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/devices","title":"List of storage devices"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/directives","title":"List of backup directives"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/inspect","title":"Inspect remote/local server"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/jobgroups","title":"List of job groups"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/jobindications","title":"List of job indications"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/jobs","title":"List of jobs"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/jukeboxes","title":"List of jukeboxes"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/labels","title":"List of volume label templates"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/licenseconfig","title":"Server license configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/licenses","title":"List of license templates"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/lockbox","title":"Lockbox resource"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/mediaconfig","title":"Server media configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/mobilestorageunits","title":"Mobile storage units"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/nasdevices","title":"List of NAS devices"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/notifications","title":"List of notification settings"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/nsrcloneconfig","title":"NSR Clone Configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/pools","title":"List of pools"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/probes","title":"List of probes"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/protectiongroups","title":"List of protection groups"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/protectionpolicies","title":"List of protection policies"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/recoverapps","title":"List of recovery applications"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/recovers","title":"List of recover resources"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/rules","title":"List of rules"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/schedules","title":"List of schedules"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/securityconfig","title":"Server security configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/serverconfig","title":"Server configuration"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/servermessages","title":"List of server messages"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/serverstatistics","title":"Server statistics"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/sessions","title":"List of save/recover sessions"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/storagenodes","title":"List of storage nodes"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/tenants","title":"Restricted data zone protection"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/timepolicies","title":"List of Time Policies"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/unconfiguredlibraries","title":"List of unconfigured libraries"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/usergroups","title":"List of user groups"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/vmware","title":"View of VMware objects"},{"href":"https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/volumes","title":"List of volumes"}]}

The JSON output is unformatted and can be difficult to parse; however, the output can be formatted into an easier to read "pretty print" format.

For NetWorker Virtual Edition (NVE) systems, you can append python -m json.tool to the curl command. For example:

nve:~ # curl -k -u Administrator:'!Password1' https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global | python -m json.tool
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100  4374    0  4374    0     0   9751      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  9763
{
    "links": [
        {
            "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/alerts",
            "title": "List of alert messages"
        },
        {
            "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfig",
            "title": "Audit log configuration"
        },
        {
            "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfigs",
            "title": "Audit log configurations"
        },
        {
            "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/backups",
            "title": "List of backups"
        },
        {
            "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients",
            "title": "List of clients"
        },
        ******* Removed for brevity *******
    ]
}

For other Linux systems, this can be achieved by appending jq to the curl command:

[root@nsr ~]# curl -k -u Administrator:'!Password1' https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global | jq
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100  4258    0  4258    0     0   7253      0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:--  7241
{
  "links": [
    {
      "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/alerts",
      "title": "List of alert messages"
    },
    {
      "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfig",
      "title": "Audit log configuration"
    },
    {
      "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/auditlogconfigs",
      "title": "Audit log configurations"
    },
    {
      "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/backups",
      "title": "List of backups"
    },
    {
      "href": "https://localhost:9090/nwrestapi/v3/global/clients",
      "title": "List of clients"
    },
    ******* Removed for brevity *******
  ]
}
NOTE: jq is not included with NetWorker, this is a third party utility that can be installed on the system. Consult with the system administrator to install jq or other JSON formatting utilities as wanted.

For Windows hosts, it is unlikely to be using command-line to achieve this. This is typically done through PowerShell which requires additional functions, often involving scripting. Most Windows based systems use a user interface such as Post-Man to format REST API GET requests.

Additional Information

Affected Products

NetWorker

Products

NetWorker Family
Article Properties
Article Number: 000356014
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 12 Aug 2025
Version:  1
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