@ibm/znetview-automation-for-zowe-cli

IBM® Z NetView™ Plug-ins for Zowe CLI

The IBM Z NetView plug-ins extend Zowe CLI to allow you to perform NetView operations leveraging the REST APIs available with the NetView REST Server in a familiar, off-platform manner. The functional areas include Canzlog, task management, automation table management, and network management, along with the ability to issue most NetView commands.

• Overview of the NetView Plug-ins
• Software requirements
• NetView Plug-in Installation
• Authentication
• Profile Creation
• Version History

Overview of the NetView Plug-ins

NetView provides three plug-ins to allow you to select which capabilities you want to use:

Base plug-in

• Allows you to access core NetView information, as well as issue most NetView commands. The specific categories of data are:
  • Canzlog messages
  • Task utilization information
  • List of NetView domains to which commands can be sent
• Authentication to NetView through the NetView REST Server
• Note: You must install this plug-in if you want to use the network and automation plug-ins

Automation plug-in

• Allows you to manage automation table members:
  • Activate an automation table
  • Download automation tables
  • List active automation tables
  • Run a simulated test of an automation table statement
  • Upload an automation table statement
  • Validate an automation table

Network plug-in

• Allows you to monitor your network:
  • Display distributed DVIPA (DDVIPA) health information
  • Display distributed DVIPA (DDVIPA) statistics

Software requirements

The following software is required for the NetView plug-ins to work:

• Zowe CLI
  • Download page: https://www.zowe.org/download
• IBM Z NetView V6.4 with the NetView REST Server running
  • For more information on configuring the NetView REST Server see DOC APAR OA60116
• (Optional) Zowe with the API Mediation Layer
  • The NetView REST Server will need to be configured to use the Zowe API Mediation Layer

NetView Plug-in Installation

• To install the NetView plug-ins from NPM registry:

  zowe plugins install <my-plugin>
  

  Note: Replace <my-plugin> with the installation command syntax in the following table:

  Plug-in	Installation Command Syntax
  IBM NetView Base Plug-in for Zowe CLI	@ibm/znetview-base-for-zowe-cli
  IBM NetView Automation Plug-in for Zowe CLI	@ibm/znetview-automation-for-zowe-cli
  IBM NetView Network Plug-in for Zowe CLI	@ibm/znetview-network-for-zowe-cli

• To install the NetView plug-ins from a local package:
  1. Open a command-line window, such as Windows Command Prompt. Browse to the directory where you downloaded the Zowe CLI installation package (.zip file). Issue the following command, or use your preferred method to unzip the files:

     unzip <plugin-name>-v.r.m.zip
     

  2. Issue the following command to install each available plug-in:

     zowe plugins install <plugin-name>-v.r.m.tgz    
     

  Replace < plugin-name> with the Plug-in Name listed in the following table:

  Plug-in	Plug-in Name
  IBM NetView Base Plug-in for Zowe CLI	ibm-znetview-base-for-zowe-cli
  IBM NetView Automation Plug-in for Zowe CLI	ibm-znetview-automation-for-zowe-cli
  IBM NetView Network Plug-in for Zowe CLI	ibm-znetview-network-for-zowe-cli

• To uninstall the NetView plug-ins, issue the command:

  zowe plugins uninstall <my-plugin>
  

• The plug-in name can be found by issuing:

  zowe plugins list
  

Authentication

There are multiple ways that you can authenticate to NetView using the NetView base plug-in or the Zowe API Mediation Layer. This section will explain the different mechanisms that NetView supports. The authentication method that you choose will also impact how you create your profiles. For more information on profile creation, see Profile Creation.

Authentication using the NetView REST Server

Using profile with stored user and password

This authentication method enables you to store all the needed information in a NetView profile so that you can issue commands without including system and user information for each command.
NOTE: If the Secure Credential Store plug-in is not installed, the userid and password will be “in the clear” in the <znetviewprofilename>.yaml file

Using nvbase auth login command and stored token

This authentication method enables you to login using the znetview-base auth login command. Issue the following command to use this method:

zowe nvbase auth login 

You will be prompted to enter your userid and password. A JSESSIONID token will be returned from the NetView Rest Server and stored in the NetView profile upon successful login. The token will be removed from the NetView profile when you logout.
To logout, issue:

zowe nvbase auth logout

NOTE: If the Secure Credential Store plug-in is not installed, the token will be visible in the <znetviewprofilename>.yaml file.

Using nvbase auth login command without stored token

This authentication method enables you to login and receive a token to be used on subsequent command invocations. Issue the following command to use this method:

zowe nvbase auth login –-show-token

You will be prompted to enter your userid and password.
A JESSIONID token value will be returned upon successful login.

Using one-time credential

This authentication method enables you to issue a command with all the needed options to run (host name, port number, userid, password) without creating a profile. For example:

zowe nvbase list domains --host <hostname> --port <portnumber> --user <username> --password <password>

Authentication using Zowe API Mediation Layer

This authentication method enables you to login Zowe API mediation layer and receive a JWT token to be used on subsequent command invocations.

Refer to IBM Z NetView Security Reference book for more information about the configuration of NetView REST Server for using Zowe Authentication with Single Sign-On.

Complete the following steps to use this method:

1. Create a base profile with the host and port of Zowe API mediation layer:

   zowe profiles create base <baseprofilename> --host <hostname> --port <portnumber>
   

2. Create a NetView profile with option --base-path to indicate the base path of NetView REST services on Zowe API mediation layer:

   zowe profiles create znetview-profile <profilename> --base-path <basepath>
   

3. Issue the following command to login Zowe API mediation layer:

   zowe auth login apiml
   

   You will be prompted to enter your userid and password.

   A JWT token will be returned from Zowe API mediation layer and stored in the base profile upon successful login.

   The JWT token will be removed from the base profile when you logout Zowe API mediation layer. To logout, issue:

   zowe auth logout apiml
   

   Note: If you use this method to login Zowe API mediation layer, you should not specify userid and password in NetView profile and the arguments in subsequent commands.

Profile Creation

Creating profiles for use with plug-ins for Zowe CLI enables you to issue commands without specifying connection and authentication information on each command. The authentication method that you choose will help determine profile creation.

Creating a znetview profile

If you want to connect and authenticate to NetView through the NetView REST Server with the information stored in you profile, issue the following command:

zowe profiles create znetview-profile <znetviewprofilename> --host <hostname> --port <portnumber> --user <username> --password <password>

If you want to connect and authenticate to NetView through the NetView REST Server with the authentication token information stored in your profile, issue the following command:

zowe profiles create znetview-profile <znetviewprofilename> --host <hostname> --port <portnumber>

Version History

IBM Shopz* or Fix Central	npmjs.org	Comments
v6.4.0.2	v1.0.4	APAR OA64250
v6.4.0.1	v1.0.3	APAR OA63969
v6.4.0*	v1.0.2	GA level

Note: The 1.0.1 version on npmjs.org is the as-is version to be used with IBM Z NetView v6.3.