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Integrating with REST API
External systems integration is one of the key features of BigFix Inventory. Business logic is enabled for integration and interfaces are provided for common integration points.
REST API
Managing large amounts of information by using the application user interface can be time-consuming. You can use the REST APIs as an alternative to the graphical user interface to reduce the time that is needed to manage your software inventory and the content of your software catalog.
Historical APIs
For some REST APIs, version 2 is created to provide improved functions or experience. In such cases, the original API is deprecated and version 2 is supported. You must adjust your custom tools or internal processes to the new version of these APIs.
REST API for software inventory management
You can reduce the time needed to manage your software inventory in a large environment by using REST API instead of the application user interface. You can use REST API to get a list of software products, releases, and release instances. You can also find out how your software can be bundled.

Integrating with REST API
External systems integration is one of the key features of BigFix Inventory. Business logic is enabled for integration and interfaces are provided for common integration points.
- REST API
  Managing large amounts of information by using the application user interface can be time-consuming. You can use the REST APIs as an alternative to the graphical user interface to reduce the time that is needed to manage your software inventory and the content of your software catalog.
  - Software Products and Software Components
    BigFix Inventory detects software components which are bundled with the product.
  - REST API resources and HTTP methods
    The operations of the BigFix Inventory REST API protocol are defined as HTTP methods on certain REST resources.
  - Common REST API elements
    You use connectors and operators to build query segments that filter on matching conditions and values.
  - Mapping REST API versions
    Available from 9.2.8. For some REST APIs, version 2 is created to provide improved functions or experience. In such cases, the original API becomes deprecated with time and only version 2 is further developed. If you have custom tools or internal processes that are based on such REST APIs, it is best to adjust the tools to use the new version of the APIs.
  - REST API for retrieving authentication token
    You use the POST operation on the api/get_token element to request your unique token that is required to authenticate the REST API requests.
  - REST API for retrieving the BigFix Inventory version
    You use the GET operation on the api/sam/about element to request information about the version of BigFix Inventory.
  - Core APIs
    Core APIs include all primary set of APIs that are integrated with BigFix Inventory.
  - Configuration APIs
    Configuration APIs include all APIs that you need to configure the application.
  - Historical APIs
    For some REST APIs, version 2 is created to provide improved functions or experience. In such cases, the original API is deprecated and version 2 is supported. You must adjust your custom tools or internal processes to the new version of these APIs.
    - REST API for retrieving computer systems, clusters, software instances, and license usage
      You can use this REST API to quickly retrieve large amounts of data related to your computer systems, clusters, software instances, and license usage. Once the data is retrieved, it can be passed to other applications for further processing and analysis.
    - REST API for software inventory management
      You can reduce the time needed to manage your software inventory in a large environment by using REST API instead of the application user interface. You can use REST API to get a list of software products, releases, and release instances. You can also find out how your software can be bundled.
      - Retrieval of software products
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/products element to request information about the software products that are installed in your infrastructure.
      - Retrieval of releases of a product
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/product/{product_id}/releases element to request information about the releases of a particular software product that is installed in your infrastructure.
      - Retrieval of release instances
        You use the GET operation on the api/samswinventory/release/{release_id}/instances element to request information about the instances of a software product release for a particular release that is installed in your infrastructure.
      - Retrieval of releases to which a software instance can be reassigned
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/targetBundlesOfInstances element to request information about the possible releases to which the requested software instance can be reassigned.
      - Retrieval of releases to which a release instance can be reassigned
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/targetBundlesOfReleases element to request information about the possible releases to which the instances of the requested software releases can be reassigned.
      - Retrieval of instances to reassign to a release
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/targetInstances element to request information about the target instances that can be reassigned to a particular release.
      - Retrieval of instances shared by releases
        You use the GET operation on the api/sam/swinventory/instanceToShare element to request information about the releases that can share a particular instance.
    - REST API for software classification
      You can reduce the time that is needed to manage your software instances in a large environment by using REST API instead of the application user interface. You can use REST API to share instances, include or exclude instances from a pricing calculation, confirm and assign instances, and reassign instances.

REST API for software inventory management

You can reduce the time needed to manage your software inventory in a large environment by using REST API instead of the application user interface. You can use REST API to get a list of software products, releases, and release instances. You can also find out how your software can be bundled.

Note: REST API for software inventory management work only for IBM products. The REST APIs return only instances that are assigned to default license metrics.