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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.
Core APIs
Core APIs include all primary set of APIs that are integrated with BigFix Inventory.
REST API associations
Available from 9.2.8. For REST APIs in version 2, you can use associations to retrieve additional data as part of API requests. For example, you can retrieve detailed information about computer hardware as part of the software_instances API request.
usage_data association
Available from 9.2.8. Use the usage_data association to retrieve information about application usage as part of other REST API requests.

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.
    - REST API for hardware (v2)
      Available from 9.2.8. You can use REST API requests to quickly retrieve large amounts of data related to hardware inventory, including historical data about removed computers. You can then pass this data to other applications for further processing and analysis.
    - REST API for retrieving software inventory and metric utilization and classifying software (v2)
      Available from 9.2.8. You can use REST API requests to quickly retrieve large amounts of data related to license metric utilization as well as your software inventory, including historical data about uninstalled software. You can then pass this data to other applications for further processing and analysis.
    - REST API associations
      Available from 9.2.8. For REST APIs in version 2, you can use associations to retrieve additional data as part of API requests. For example, you can retrieve detailed information about computer hardware as part of the software_instances API request.
      - component_cpe association
        Available from 9.2.12. Use the component_cpe association to retrieve information about the discovered component as specified in the Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) dictionary as part of other REST API requests.
      - computer association
        Available from 9.2.10. Use the computer association to retrieve information about details of the computer and custom computer properties as part of REST API requests.
      - computer_details association
        Available from 9.2.10. Use the computer_details association to retrieve information about details of the computer and custom computer properties as part of REST API requests.
      - computer_health association
        Available from 9.2.8. Use the computer_health association to retrieve information about health of the computer, such as the status of software scans, or version of the installed BigFix client, as part of REST API requests.
      - computer_hardware association
        Available from 9.2.8. Use the computer_hardware association to retrieve detailed hardware information as part of other REST API requests.
      - cve association
        Available from 9.2.13. Use the cve association to retrieve information about Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) that were matched with a particular component through its detailed version as part of other REST API requests.
      - discovery_details association
        Available from 9.2.11. Use the discovery_details association to retrieve details of a file that caused component discovery as part of a REST API request. The details include the name and size of the file as well as the path under which it was found.
      - designated_computer association
        Available from 9.2.12. Use the designated_computer association to retrieve information about computers that were designated to scan shared disks as part of other REST API requests.
      - mounted_shared_disks association
        Available from 9.2.12. Use the mounted_shared_disks association to retrieve information about shared disks that are mounted on each computer as part of other REST API requests.
      - release_component_lifecycle association
        Available from 9.2.13. Use the release_component_lifecycle association to retrieve information about when a component reaches its end of support as part of other REST API requests.
      - shared_disk_members association
        Available from 9.2.12. Use the shared_disk_members association to retrieve information about computers on which shared disks are mounted as part of other REST API requests.
      - tags association
        Available from 9.2.14. Use the tags association to retrieve information about tags as part of other REST API requests.
      - usage_data association
        Available from 9.2.8. Use the usage_data association to retrieve information about application usage as part of other REST API requests.
      - Computer group association
        Use the Computer group association to retrieve information about computer group associated to the contracts.
      - Metric association
        Use the metric association to retrieve information about metric associated to the contracts.
      - Purchase orders association
        Use the purchase_orders association to retrieve information about purchase orders associated to the contracts.
      - Software products association
        Use the software_products association to retrieve information about software products associated to the contracts.
    - REST API for retrieving raw scan results
      Available from 9.2.2. Retrieving raw scan results through REST API is intended to improve the monitoring of your environment by allowing you to quickly discover software that was installed or modified recently. By using shortened data imports, data about your software reaches the server much quicker, and at the same time allows you to increase the number of imports that you can run each day.
    - Retrieving unified view
      Unified view APIs provides you a unified view of the instances.
  - 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.

usage_data association

Available from 9.2.8. Use the usage_data association to retrieve information about application usage as part of other REST API requests.

Association

usage_data

Applicable REST APIs

You can use the usage_data association with the api/sam/v2/software_instances REST API.

Syntax

<URL>?columns[]=usage_data.<column>&token=<token>

For example:

GET api/sam/v2/software_instances?columns[]=usage_data.has_usage
&token=7adc3efb175e2bc0f4484bdd2efca54a8fa04623

Schema description

To retrieve the list of all columns that are returned by this association together with their descriptions, use the following request.

GET api/sam/schemas/associations/usage_data.json?token=<token>

Available columns

Table 1. Columns with information about usage
Column	Description	Type
avg_run_time	Average amount of time during which a process or software was used. It is calculated by dividing the total run time by the number of total runs.	String
avg_runs_per_day	Average number of times a process or software item is started per day.	Numeric
first_used	Date and time when the information about the process was first collected by the BigFix client.	String
has_usage	Indicates whether a usage signature exists for the particular software.	Boolean
last_used	Date and time when the software item was last used or a process was last run.	String
process	Name of the process on which the calculation of software usage is based.	String
total_runs	Number of times a software item or process was started.	Numeric
total_time	Indicates how long the software item or process was running.	String