Api Fundamentals - Cisco TelePresence SX80 Reference Manual

Cisco TelePresence SX80
Contents Introduction

API fundamentals

This chapter contains a top-level view of the mechanisms
supported by the codec API. You can use the API to manage
all parts of the TelePresence system.
Here you can read about how to access the API, how to use
the command line and what the different parts of the API
can be used for. Information on how to use the feedback
functions that are available for the codec is included in this
chapter.
The API consists of four major groups:
• Commands
• Configurations
• Status
• Events
These four groups are hierarchically organized, which
makes it easier to find related functionality. You can find the
complete lists of all commands, configurations and statuses
in the following chapters.
Connecting to the API
There are several ways to access the codec API. Regardless
of which method you choose, the structure of the API is
the same. Choose the connection method that suites your
application best. Before you start, please read this section
about the different methods, as some of those may require
additional configuration changes before being enabled.
The following commands can be set from the System config-
uration menu in the web interface or on the on-screen-diplay,
or from the command line interface. All of the examples are
for the command line interface.
Password
Initially, no password is set for the default admin user. We
strongly recommend that you set a password for this user,
and any other users possessing an ADMIN role, to restrict
access to system configuration. The password can be
changed by issuing the following command:
xCommand SystemUnit AdminPassword Set Password:
<password>
Codec SX80 API Reference Guide TC7.3, OCTOBER 2015.
D15107.05
About the API About the API xConfiguration
RS-232/serial connection
This is one of the most used connections to our products for
integrators, as it can be used regardless of an IP address,
DNS or network configuration.
Codec configurations
There are two different configurations that can be changed
for serial connections; the baud-rate and whether login is
required or not. A reboot of the codec is required for these
settings to take effect.
xConfiguration SerialPort BaudRate:
<9600/19200/38400/57600/115200>
xConfiguration SerialPort LoginRequired: <Off/On>
Connecting
Connect a standard 9-pin serial cable <115200, N, 8, 1> to
the COM port on the SX80 codec.
Note:
• For security reasons the password prompting is turned
on by default, but it can be turned off if preferred.
• The default baud rate is set to 115200. The codec can
give very much feedback. We therefore recommend
keeping the connection at this speed.
Telnet
Telnet can be viewed as the equivalent of the serial protocol
in the TCP/IP world. Telnet is disabled by default. Before
connecting to the codec with Telnet you have to enable it.
Codec configuration
To enable Telnet service, configure the following setting on
the codec. Changing this setting does not require a reboot of
the device, but it may take some time to take effect.
xConfiguration NetworkServices Telnet Mode: On
11
xCommand xStatus
SSH
SSH is a secure TCP/IP connection and it is enabled by
default on the codec. It can be disabled. You need a SSH
client, such as PuTTY, to access the API over SSH.
HTTP/HTTPS
As HTTP/HTTPS are connectionless protocols, there is no
persistent connection. There are several ways of communi-
cating with the API over HTTP.
Codec configuration
In order to enable or disable the HTTP and HTTPS services,
configure the following settings on the codec. Changing
these settings requires a reboot of the device.
xConfiguration NetworkServices HTTP Mode:
<Off/On>
xConfiguration NetworkServices HTTPS Mode:
<Off/On>
Connecting
You can inspect the API by entering the IP-address or host
name of the codec in your favorite web browser. In the web
interface, you can find the API documents under the menu
section System Configuration > API > XML
POST and GET methods are used to execute commands
and get feedback from the codec. This is described in
"Using HTTP" on page 21
Ethernet port
You can connect a non-Cisco controller directly to an SX80
codec. Connect your device to the network port 2 or 3 with
an Ethernet cable. This way the device gets a local IP address
from the SX80, and is not part of the corporate network.
This method can also be used to connect to the codec with
SSH. In this case you can use the IP address 169.254.1.1.
Note: Only one non-Cisco device can be connected to the
network ports at a time.
Copyright © 2015 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
API Reference Guide
Appendices
API. The HTTP
in this document.