About The Api About The Api; Basic Principles; The Api-Engine; Structuring Of Information - Cisco TelePresence System Codec C90 Reference Manual

Cisco TelePresence System Codec C90
Contents Introduction
About the API

Basic Principles

The heart of the API is the API-Engine. This is
where all information is stored and processed.
The API-engine can be accessed by an easy-
to-use Command Line Interface called XACLI
using RS-232, Telnet or SSH, or by the XML
API Service (TXAS) over HTTP/HTTPS.
Working with the API-engine is very similar
to working with catalogues and files on
a computer. All information is stored in a
hierarchic tree structure which is accessible
from different interfaces.
•
When accessing the API-engine using
XACLI (RS-232, Telnet or SSH), the
information is formatted in a proprietary
Command Line style or in XML formatting.
•
When accessing the API-engine using
the TXAS interface (HTTP/HTTPS), XML
formatting is supported.
This is similar to viewing files on a computer.
Accessing catalogues on a Windows
computer using the Command Prompt gives
a different view than using Windows Explorer,
but the information is the same.
About Telnet
Telnet is disabled by default. Before
connecting to the codec using Telnet you will
need to enable the interface via either RS-232
or SSH.
The following command can be set from the
Administrator settings menu or from the API
command interface:
•
xConfiguration NetworkServices
Telnet Mode: On
D14641.06 Codec C90 API Reference Guide TC5.0 November 2011.
© 2010-2011 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
About the API About the API
XACLI
(XML)
RS-232
Telnet/SSH
cable
via LAN

The API-Engine

The API-Engine is optimized for easy, yet
advanced, machine-machine interaction
between a Cisco system and an external
control application.
The main features can be summarized to:
1.

Structuring of information

2. Addressing using XPath (XML Path
Language) or SimplePath
3. Feedback
xConfiguration xCommand
TXAS
(XML)
HTTP/
HTTPS
API-Engine
Structuring of Information
An application programming interface (API)
can be seen as a gate where information is
exchanged between two systems – a control
application and a target system.
The control application transmits instructions
to the target system, while the target system
supplies information about how these
instructions are executed, in addition to other
system related information.
Consequently, the exchange of information
can be divided into:
1. Information flowing from target. This
we call READ information (R). The (R)
should not be confused with the (r) used
to indicate required parameters in the
Commands tables.
2. Information flowing to target. This we call
WRITE information (W).
9
API Reference Guide
xStatus Appendices
Main types of information
•
READ information (R)
•
WRITE information (W)
•
READ/WRITE information (RW)
(R) READ information. This is Status
Information about the system and system
processes, i.e. information generated by the
system.
Typical examples include: status about
ongoing calls, network status, conference
status etc. All status information is structured
in a hierarchy, making up a database
constantly being updated by the system to
reflect process changes.
(W) WRITE information. This is Command
information the user/control application supply
to initiate an action.
Typical examples include: instructing the
system to place a call, adjust volume,
disconnect a call etc.
A command is usually followed by a set of
parameters to specify how the given action is
to be executed.
(RW) READ/WRITE information. This is
Configuration Information defining system
settings. This information can both be
supplied and read by the user/control
application. Typical examples include: default
call rate, baud rate of a serial port, enabling/
disabling of various features etc.
All configuration information is structured in
a hierarchy making up a database of system
settings. But for the Configuration information,
the data in the database can only be updated
by the user/control application.
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