How to Configure Networks with the BFC API

Installing and Maintaining CA AppLogic › BFC User Guide › Using the BFC API › How to Configure Networks with the BFC API

How to Configure Networks with the BFC API

As a Backbone Administrator, you want to configure networks with the BFC API. For example, you prefer using the API with a command line, or you prefer executing scripts for command sequences. Once you configure the networks, you can view and manipulate the networks through the BFC UI and other BFC API methods. You set up and configure networks configuration before you can create CA AppLogic grids, and you require a backbone and external network.

The following diagram shows how you can configure networks with the BFC API:

Shows how to configure networks with the BFC API.

Get the list of networks.
Set up the Backbone Network.
Set up the External Network.
Choose one of the following options:
- If you do not want to configure VLANs for this network, continue to Step 5.
- If you want to configure VLANs for this network, modify VLAN address ranges on the External Network.
Set up the Power Network.

Prerequisite: Network Considerations

Your network configuration can have the following setup:

One backbone network
One or more external networks
A power network if you want IPMI power control of the servers that the BFC discovers. Without a power network, the BFC discovers servers with manual power mode.
The order that you follow to set up the networks is not important.
For example, you can configure the external network after you set up the backbone network.
Once you execute API commands to create the appropriate networks, you can optionally add VLAN address spaces to the external networks.
You can then use the VLAN spaces as application IP capacity for a grid. For example, you want to add VLAN spaces to accommodate more applications on the grid.

Get the List of Networks

Version 1.1 of the BFC API lets you view information about the networks in the BFC. In this example, your system does not contain any networks, but you want to confirm this information with the BFC API.

Follow these steps:

To log in to version 1.1 of the BFC API, execute the following command:

export BFC_Host=<IP Address of BFC Control Node>
curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/1.1/login -X POST -d "{\"username\":\"core/admin\",\"password\":\"changeme\"}" -H "Content-Type:application/json"

Save the session:

export Session="Session_ID_Returned_from_Login"

To retrieve the list of all networks on the BFC server, execute the following command:
```
curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}"
```
The API displays the HTML return code 200 and indicates that your BFC does not contain any networks.

Set Up the Backbone Network

The backbone network hosts all traffic for BFC operations. CA AppLogic uses this internal network only for communications between servers on the grid.

Follow these steps:

To set up the backbone network, execute the following command:

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session" -d "{\"network\":{\"base_address\":\"127.0.x.x\",\"cidr\":\"24\",\"usages\":[\"bbc/applogic_backbone_network\"],\"gateway_addresses\":[\"127.0.x.x\"],\"address_space\":{\"ip_space\":{\"address_pools\":[{\"ip_pool\":{\"type\":\"hardware\",\"ranges\":[{\"ip_range\":{\"start_address\":\"127.0.x.x\",\"end_address\":\"127.0.x.x\"}}]}}]}}}}"

To retrieve details about the backbone network, execute the following command:

curl -k https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.0.x.x -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}" | python -mjson.tool

The following output appears:

{"network": {
        "address_space": {
            "ip_space": {
                "address_pools": [
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                        "size": 10,
                                        "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}],
                            "num_addresses": 11,
                            "num_available": 10,
                            "num_used": 1,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                        "size": 11,
                                        "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "hardware",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                        "size": 1,
                                        "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}]}},
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [],
                            "num_addresses": 4,
                            "num_available": 0,
                            "num_used": 4,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "application",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}]}}],
                "available_ranges": [[
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                "size": 137,
                                "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}},
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.0.x.x",
                                "size": 101,
                                "start_address": "127.0.x.x"}}],238]}},
        "base_address": "127.0.x.x",
        "cidr": 24,
        "comp_id": 1450,
        "gateway_addresses": [
            "127.0.x.x"],
        "ip_version": "ipv4",
        "usages": [
            "bbc/applogic_backbone_network"],
        "vlan_address_spaces": []}}

To verify the backbone network in the BFC UI, complete the following steps:
1. Click Backbone Network from the Configuration Checklist.
2. Select the network from the list to view its start address, end address, and size.

Set Up the External Network

The external network provides the available addresses for grids when you create virtual machines. This network lets servers communicate with other hosts outside the CA AppLogic grid.

Follow these steps:

To set up the external network, execute the following command:

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session" -d "{\"network\":{\"base_address\":\"127.50.x.x\",\"cidr\":\"24\",\"usages\":[\"bbc/applogic_external_network\"],\"gateway_addresses\":[\"127.50.x.x\"],\"address_space\":{\"ip_space\":{\"address_pools\":[{\"ip_pool\":{\"type\":\"hardware\",\"ranges\":[{\"ip_range\":{\"start_address\":\"127.50.x.x\",\"end_address\":\"127.50.x.x\"}}]}}]}},\"vlan_address_spaces\":[{\"vlan_ip_space\":{\"vlan\":\"150\"}}]}}"

To retrieve details about the external network, execute the following command:

curl -k https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.50.x.x -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}" | python -mjson.tool

In this example, you created the VLAN address space without associating any pools, ranges, or IP addresses.

The following output appears:

{"network": {

        "address_space": {
            "ip_space": {
                "address_pools": [
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 10,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "num_addresses": 11,
                            "num_available": 10,
                            "num_used": 1,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 11,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "hardware",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 1,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}]}},
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [],
                            "num_addresses": 4,
                            "num_available": 0,
                            "num_used": 4,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "application",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}]}}],
                "available_ranges": [[
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                "size": 137,
                                "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}},
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                "size": 101,
                                "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],238]}},
        "base_address": "127.50.x.x",
        "cidr": 24,
        "comp_id": 1450,
        "gateway_addresses": [
            "127.50.x.x"],
        "ip_version": "ipv4",
        "usages": [
            "bbc/applogic_external_network"],
        "vlan_address_spaces": []}}

To add an address pool to the external network VLAN space, execute the following command:

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.50.x.x/vlan_address_spaces/150/address_pools -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session" -d "{\"ip_pool\":{\"type\":\"application\",\"ranges\":[{\"ip_range\":{\"start_address\":\"127.50.x.x\",\"end_address\":\"127.50.x.x\"}}]}}"

To retrieve details about the external network, execute the following command:

curl -k https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.50.x.x -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}" | python -mjson.tool

To verify the backbone network in the BFC UI, complete the following steps:
1. Click External Network from the Configuration Checklist.
2. Select the network from the list to view its start address, end address, size, and scope.

Set Up the Power Network

The power network settings let the BFC intelligently controls the power management operations on grid nodes. These operations include power cycle and power off.

Note: If you enabled IPMI on your nodes, specify the Power IPs of those nodes in the power network.

Follow these steps:

To set up the power network, execute the following command:

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session" -d "{\"network\":{\"base_address\":\"127.50.x.x\",\"cidr\":\"24\",\"usages\":[\"core/power_network\"],\"gateway_addresses\":[\"127.50.x.x\"],\"address_space\":{\"ip_space\":{\"address_pools\":[{\"ip_pool\":{\"type\":\"power\",\"ranges\":[{\"ip_range\":{\"start_address\":\"127.50.x.x\",\"end_address\":\"127.50.x.x\"}}]}}]}}}}"

To retrieve details about the power network, execute the following command:

curl -k https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.50.x.x -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}" | python -mjson.tool

The following output appears:

{"network": {

        "address_space": {
            "ip_space": {
                "address_pools": [
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 10,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "num_addresses": 11,
                            "num_available": 10,
                            "num_used": 1,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 11,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "hardware",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 1,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}]}},
                    {"ip_pool": {
                            "available_ranges": [],
                            "num_addresses": 4,
                            "num_available": 0,
                            "num_used": 4,
                            "ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],
                            "type": "application",
                            "used_ranges": [
                                {"ip_range": {
                                        "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                        "size": 4,
                                        "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}]}}],
                "available_ranges": [[
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                "size": 137,
                                "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}},
                        {"ip_range": {
                                "end_address": "127.50.x.x",
                                "size": 101,
                                "start_address": "127.50.x.x"}}],238]}},
        "base_address": "127.50.x.x",
        "cidr": 24,
        "comp_id": 1450,
        "gateway_addresses": [
            "127.50.x.x"],
        "ip_version": "ipv4",
        "usages": [
            "bbc/applogic_power_network"],
        "vlan_address_spaces": []}}

To verify the backbone network in the BFC UI, complete the following steps:
1. Click Power Network from the Configuration Checklist.
2. Select the network from the list to view its start address, end address, size.

Modify the VLAN Address Ranges on the External Network

Modify the VLAN address range on the external network that is based on the needs of your BFC environment. For example, you can decrease the VLAN address space if you do not require your current amount. If you require more address space to run more applications on the grid, you can increase the address space on the external network.

Note: If you do not configure VLANs after creating the network, you can manage the VLANs through a POST or DELETE to the VLAN address space.

Follow these steps:

Determine if the VLAN address ranges on your external network require modification.
For example, you plan to use more applications in your grid. These added applications require an increased range.

To modify the ranges, execute one of the following commands:

Increase Range

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.x.x.0/vlan_address_spaces/150/address_pools/application/ranges -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session" -d "{\"ip_range\":{\"start_address\":\"127.x.x.51\",\"end_address\":\"127.x.x.150\"}}"

Decrease Range

curl -k -v https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.x.x.0/vlan_address_spaces/150/address_pools/application/ranges/127.x.x.40-127.x.x.49 -X DELETE -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:$Session"

View the external network details in the BFC UI or execute the following command:
```
curl -k https://${BFC_Host}:8443/BFC/networks/127.x.x.1 -H "Content-Type:application/json" -H "Authorization:${Session}" | python -mjson.tool
```
The API displays HTML return code 200 and shows the ranges that you specified in Step 2.

You have successfully configured networks with the BFC API and can create and work with grids.