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

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

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 *******
  ]
}

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.

• NetWorker REST API: How to use a remote AUTHC server when processing RESTAPI requests
• NetWorker: How to Enable REST API Debugging